The Perfect Team
by Skyeblueme3
Summary: Once an oracle foretold the coming of four youths who would bring about the end to everything four dark forces had worked for. Upon hearing this, the bad guys did everything in their power to stop the four from ever knowing their true power. But even they cannot stop fate. This is the story of the meeting of the Big Four. Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons.
1. Royal Corona

**Hey everyone. This is my first fan- fiction. I'm really excited to hear what you think. **

**Some of you may recognize this story because I asked a friend of mine to post it for me I was able to get an account of my own. I'll be posting this every couple days for you. Enjoy, and review. :)**

"The King and Queen of Corona would like to thank you for attending the celebration for the lost princess' eighteenth birthday and invite you and your... people to the welcome feast to be held later today." The attendant said as he led the Hairy Hooligan vikings from Berk down the castle hallway. He seemed nervous to have the half a dozen giant figures following him. Hiccup smiled wryly to himself, he didn't blame the man; they were a lot larger than normal citizens here, and their body odor was enough to make anyone nervous, especially since they'd all been on a ship for the past three days.

The attendant showed them the vikings rooms and with a quiet suggestion they use the facilities to freshen up before joining the welcoming feast, he was gone. "They're not so bad when you get to know them." Hiccup said as the poor man passed. The attendant just shook his head and hurried off.

Hiccup sighed and went into the room assigned to the chieftain and his son. Whoa. He stopped to observe the lavishly huge room. All this richness made him feel very out of place, it was so different from his small little village on Berk. The entire suite had more rooms than his house back home. "Remind me again why we came here?" He asked Stoick, his father, who was investigating the large wardrobe to the side.

"We are here to pay our respects to the king and queen here who lost their daughter almost eighteen years ago." Stoick said, still exploring the room.

"Okay, but why are we here. I mean, it's nice and all for them to invite us here, but we're vikings, not really fit for 'civilized' society." Hiccup tested the bed. "If you haven't noticed, we kind of stand out."

"All the neighboring kingdoms were invited to come, and as chieftain of Berk and the best representative of the vikings in the Barbaric Archipelago, we have to make an appearance. Plus, the day after will be a summit to discuss trading and treaties."

Oh, yeah, there was that. This would be a time for the kings and other leaders to renew trade agreements and make sure they won't all go to war over disagreements or other such stuff; of course, who wouldn't want to march on Berk with all its freezing cold winters and hard living and all those other perks. One of the reasons that Stoick had decided to leave all of the dragons behind was to hide the fact that there was actually something cool up there. It didn't mean that Hiccup was happy that his best friend had to be left behind, but he could understand the reasons.

"I know you miss your friends and Toothless, but it's only for a few days. Let's make a good impression and after the summit, we can go home." Stoic opened a door in the back and went in. "It looks like we wash up here. I'm going to go ahead and wash up first. Why don't you get settled in?" And with that, the door closed.

"Make a good impression? If we wanted to do that we wouldn't have brought along Spitelout or Mildew." Hiccup complained to the now empty room. He sighed to himself again and went to the window. If it wasn't enough that he had to come along, His father had also brought along Spitelout, his uncle; and his cousin, Snotlout; and the village grump, Mildew. All of whom weren't on the best of terms with Hiccup. He still couldn't figure out why Mildew decided to come along anyway; he had just showed up as they were departing and declared he was going too to reacquaint himself with an old friend. Old friend, yeah right. Who would ever consider themselves friends with that grump?

He shook his head, and looked out onto the castle town. He had to admit, it was a very pretty kingdom. He opened the window and was greeted by a gust of cold air. "And, how is the wonderful kingdom of Corona?" He asked the summer night.

A husky laugh answered him from behind. "Let's just say there is a group of very happy kids having a snowball fight in the market place. The adults are going to wonder about that for a while." Hiccup turned to see Jack Frost lounging on the four-poster bed. "You know, I don't think this place has seen many snow days. It is farther south than I normally come. I could have some fun here.

Hiccup smiled wryly. "Don't cause too much trouble." He warned, "We're still guests here."

"Don't be such a worrywart; it's just a little snow here and there. And a couple ice patches. And some wicked frost designs in a few windows. It'll all melt soon anyway."

"Just keep in mind that this place doesn't get a lot of cold. And it's the middle of summer, that's all I'm saying." Hiccup left the window to sit on the bed next to his friend, the spirit of winter. "Hey, thanks for agreeing to come along on this trip. It sucks enough that Toothless and the other dragons couldn't come, I'm glad I could still have someone to talk to."

"What about Snotlout or Gobber?" Jack asked. "They're talkative enough." Hiccup made a face. "Haha. Yeah, they're not they best conversationalists."

"Yeah. Of anyone who got to get to come, it had to be Snotlout. I wouldn't even consider him a real friend. He's just my cousin."

"Plus he would be more interested in flirting with all the Corona maids than hanging out with his 'dear cuz'." They burst out laughing at that.

"What are ye laughing about son?" Stoick said, coming out of the bathing room. He didn't see Jack; Stoick was never one to believe old legends and stories.

"Nothing, dad."

Later, the attendant came back to fetch the viking visitors to the feast. Everyone had washed up and were smelling a whole lot better. Down in the dining hall, Hiccup noticed about five or six different groups of royalty from different kingdoms. Never more did he feel more out of place than he did standing next to towering, big-boned men in a room filled with dainty princesses and regal princes.

At the table, he sat next to his father and Gobber, and across the table sat Spitelout, Snotlout, and Mildew. The cranky old Viking gave Hiccup a look something akin to a glare mixed with a scowl. He hated Hiccup for discovering how to train the dragons and changing the whole viking way of life, or something like that.

The King and Queen of Corona made a short speech welcoming their royal guests and then let the feast began. The Hooligans dished themselves from the many platters laid out by sharply dressed servants; and a lot of the things Hiccup tried, he didn't even recognize. Four courses of delicious food later, he was full and there was still desert. Before it was served, however, the King and Queen made an announcement.

"My dear royal neighbors," the king said. "As you know, tomorrow is my lost daughter's eighteenth birthday. There will be festivities through the day that I encourage you all to participate in. As soon as the sun is down, we will start the lantern ceremony. The day after, we will meet to discuss treaties and trades as needed. Please enjoy yourselves and good night." After that the king and queen retired. Desert came and one by one the other royal families left with their entourages.

Jack joined the Hooligans as they left the great hall and walked next to Hiccup. "You should see this place." He said excitedly, "It's huge! You could get lost wandering through the hallways. I almost did, and somehow ended up on the other side of the castle. I saw some weird things over there."

Hiccup didn't answer, but he gave a grin and rolled his eyes. The other vikings were within earshot and none of them, except for maybe Gobber could see Jack. Hiccup didn't want to get weird looks, so he just let Jack talk. They've been friends long enough to have communication around people who couldn't see the winter spirit worked out.

Snotlout was walking right in front of him and complained about a sudden drop in temperature. Jack's cold influence contrasted a lot with the warm summer air.

"I don't feel anything." Hiccup said. "It must be your imagination; it's way too warm here to feel cold. Maybe you just felt a draft."

Jack laughed and blew a little more cold air down the hall to mess with the other young viking. Snotlout shivered and hurried on, mumbling about drafts in a fancy castle. As Hiccup let out a little laugh at the joke, he heard a gasp behind him.

"I cannae believe it. I thought you were gone for the summer. What are yea doin' here?" It was a female voice with an accent that sounded a little thicker and slightly different from Stoick's. Hiccup turned to ask her what she meant and came face to face with a girl his age with a wild mane of red, curly hair. Her aqua blue eyes however, weren't looking at him; they were trained on the invisible-to-almost-everyone spirit of winter standing right next to him.


	2. Red Head

**Here's the next chapter. Enjoy.**

"Are you... talking to me?" Hiccup asked the strange princess before him. The rest of the vikings had moved on down the hall, leaving Hiccup behind, and the rest of the hallway was otherwise deserted. Where had she come from? The dining hall? She couldn't be talking to Jack, could she?

"Why would I be talkin to yeauh?" The princess asked turning her blue eyes to him. "Ay'm talking to Jack Frost here, don'cha see 'im? Who are yeh anyway?"

Jack laughed and patted Hiccup on the back. "Of course Hiccup can see me. Wow, it's great to see you, Merida. How has been in ol' Scotland?"

She turned back to Jack. "Pretty good, pretty good. Mother and I had a little fight over the summer about gettin' married and that led to a wee little curse that turned Mum into a bear. It's all settled now though. We've never bin closer."

"Seems like I missed out on a lot; you'll have to tell me more about it later. I'm glad everything turned out between you two, though. How're the 'little wee devils'?"

"Still gettin away with Everything. Ugh."

Jack laughed and nudged Hiccup, "Taught them everything they know." Hiccup just stood awkwardly, feeling a little out of place as they talked about things he didn't know about. They seemed close, like they've known each other a while. Who was this girl?

"Hey, did Ay tell yeh that they've been learning archery too?'

"No way. That sounds pretty dangerous; you had better keep an eye on them so they don't poke someone's eye out."

"That's what my Mum keeps saying, but Da' started teaching me at the same age."

"Will someone please tell me what's going on here?" Hiccup interjected. He was still trying to figure out how this red-head could see his invisible friend. Jack had told him that almost no one could see him, and yet here he was talking with this foreign girl like she was an old friend.

Merida looked at Hiccup as if remembering that he was even there. Jack palmed his forehead. "Oh sorry," He said, "Hiccup, this is Princess Merida DunBroch of the Scottish Highlands. And Merida, this is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third of the Hairy Hooligan viking village from the Island of Berk." Hiccup instinctively winced at his very long, very embarrassing full name. He had always hated that name. It didn't help that the princess laughed.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third?" Merida was trying to hold back more laughs. "Hairy Hooligan? What kind of names are those?"

"The vikings believe that having a hideous name will frighten off gnomes and trolls. Mine isn't the worst of them believe it or not." She snorted at that. She didn't believe him, but it was true. Just take Snotlout's name for example. Or Mildew; Hiccup is mild compared to that.

"If tha's not, then I feel sorry for the poor soul with the worst. Wha' is't?"

Hiccup thought for a second. "Dogsbreath the Duhbrain. He also has an odor that makes actual dogs breath smell good."

"No, no. Mildew is a much worse name. Nobody ever wants mildew to grow." Jack added.

"Fishlegs is pretty bad. Who ever heard of a fish having legs?"

"Bucket."

"Mulch."

"Ruffnut and Tuffnut"

"Snotlout."

"Gobber the Belch." Jack let out a big burp to emphasize the name.

Merida listened to the names and burst out laughing. Her laughter was infectious and Jack and Hiccup joined in too. Soon they were all gasping for breath.

"I cannae believe... you have a... whole... village... full of people... with names... like that." Merida managed to say between breaths and laughter. She had to lean against the wall for support. "Dogsbreath? Mildew? Fishlegs?" She slid to the ground. Jack found her reaction extremely funny and laughed harder. Hiccup calmed down after a few seconds, though. Those were weird names by other countries standards, but they were normal for him. He had one of those names after all.

He noticed a woman coming up the hall, regal and stern in her features and looking displeased at the group. "Merida, a lady does not roll on the ground laughing hysterically. Get up now." Merida, mood changing immediately, gave out an exasperated sigh before getting back up. She stood in front of her mother who brushed off and straightened her dress. "Your father and I were wondering where you had gotten to. I see you made a friend."

Merida nodded and gestured at Hiccup. "This is Hiccup of Berk. He's a viking. We were just talking about the names his people give each other. Someone's actually named Bucket!" She giggled, earning a look from her mother.

"It's nice to meet you, Hiccup." The woman said, "I am Queen Elinor from the Scottish Isles." The queen gave a perfect curtsy (to which Hiccup gave an awkward bow in return), and then turned to her daughter. "Come, Merida. We have a busy day tomorrow and you'll need your sleep. Good night." She nodded toward Hiccup and walked off, leaving the trio behind.

Merida gave the boys an apologetic shrug. "Well, see yeh guys tomorrow. It was nice ta meet ya, Hiccup. Bye, Jack." And she was off, walking behind her mother, mass of red hair bouncing. At the end of the hallway she turned and gave a little wave before turning around the corner.

"She's really something, isn't she?" Jack asked when she was gone.

"Why didn't you tell me other people could see you?" Hiccup turned on Jack. "I was under the impression that I was the only one who could see you. I thought that was the reason you always hung around me all those years." He added quietly. Jack had acted so excited when they met and he found that Hiccup could see him. In fact, Jack had told Hiccup that no one had ever been able to see him until that day, five years ago. Hiccup couldn't help but feel a little hurt that his best friend had kept this a secret from him. Another believer is a big deal to the winter spirit. Why wouldn't he have shared?

Jack got defensive. "That isn't the reason I always came around." He said, "No- wait, it was at first." He paused, running his hand through his snow white hair, obviously uncomfortable. Hiccup just folded his arms and waited. "Look, you were my first friend. I'd never met anyone who could actually see me until you came to the woods that day and called out my name. It wasn't just that you were the only one who could see me that I hung out with you. You were also cool and fun and my best friend."

"And what about Merida? Why didn't you tell me other people could see you?" Hiccup asked.

"I met her two years ago. She comes from another world. I didn't think you'd care that much to know about it. And you were kind of busy at the time, dealing with the dragons and all."

They stood there in an awkward silence for a moment, before Hiccup spoke up. "I guess I was kind of preoccupied. There was so much to do, I kind of didn't see you a lot that winter."

Jack nodded. "So, we good?" He asked.

"We're good." Hiccup smiled. "Let's head back to the room."

When they reached the room, Jack said good night and left to go do his winter work around the world. He didn't have much to do since it was technically summer for most of the world, but there were still places he needed to visit. Inside the suite, Hiccup found Stoick asleep in one of the beds. Apparently he didn't want to wait up for his son. Hiccup went to bed himself, still reeling with the encounter with the Scottish Princess who could also for some reason see his best friend. Before he knew it, he was asleep, exhausted by the day's events.


	3. Tangled Plots

Jack flew through the corridor until he found a window. It was open to let in the summer breeze, which was too warm in Jack's opinion, but, then again, everything here was. "Let's go for a ride." He said to the wind as he jumped out of the castle. He free-fell for a few seconds and then the wind answered his call and lifted him into the night. Jack let out a laugh of exhilaration at the freedom of being in the night air, it was an amazing feeling that he never got tired of. Actually, it was one of the few perks of being what he was; the invisible spirit of winter. He was lucky to have found Merida and Hiccup, who, in his whole life, are the only two who have ever seen him.

Why? It was a mystery he never could figure out. He looked at the moon, the all-knowing, un-speaking entity sitting in the sky who had given him a life and name all those years ago, but never anything more.

He perched on the roof of some building and looked up into the night sky. "Who am I?" He asked, as he did almost every night. "Why give me a life where nobody but those few can see me?" The moon didn't answer, it never did. He turned in frustration and a glimmer of light caught his eye. "Right on time, Sandman." He gave a little smile.

Ribbons of golden dust were spreading out across the night sky, tendrils of light gliding into the windows of the castle town's children. Jack loved this time of night; the golden streams of dream dust from the Sandman came to the sleeping children even here. They lit up the sky in a dazzling a pattern. Jack reached up to a strand that passed over his head and a dream dragon materialized from it, followed by a bear who pounced playfully on the dragon. They both tussled in a friendly fight before becoming part of the stream again.

When it was all dark and quiet again, Jack lifted off of the roof and flew around, exploring the city by night. A few frozen fountains would be found come morning, thanks to Jack's mischief, but it'd all melt quickly once the sun came up. He found himself flying through the trees in the forest letting loose more of his frost on the foliage. He probably should go and bring winter to the few areas that were in the season for it, but he was stalling. Why? There's no reason, yet he felt like there was something he needed to do here in Corona. Something that was calling to him. Jack shrugged the feeling off. There was mischief he could go cause in Russia, which had a little snow on the ground in some of the more northern, high altitude areas.

He flew out of the trees and was about to go north when he noticed a golden light below. It wasn't like a campfire light. That was next to it. His first thoughts were that it was more of Sandy's dream sand, but that had already come and passed. But it acted a lot like it, the way it spread out in a looping fashion. Curious, Jack dropped closer to get a better look. He could hear a female voice softly singing and, from what he could see from the light, there were two figures at the center of the glow.

When he was close enough to see, he realized that it wasn't like the dream sand at all, in fact the light looked like it was coming from a girl's head. Like it was her hair. Except that there was a lot of it. No real person could have that much hair, could they? And not only was it spread all around the clearing, but it was also glowing.

"Bring back what once was mine, what once was mine." The girl's song came to an end and the hair stopped glowing. Jack was perched on a tree branch nearby and watched as the other person, a man unwrapped some of that hair from around his hand hesitantly. He looked at his hand like it was alien and his mouth was open in shock. He breathed inward like he was about to yell when the girl hurriedly stopped him. "Please, don't freak out."

Jack laughed out loud at poor guy's reaction. He'd be kind of freaked out too if that was him sitting there. He wondered what the glowing hair had done to the guy's hand. Poor sap probably wasn't used to magic. The guy put his hands under his arms and rocked back and forth, visibly trying to keep calm.

"I'm not freaking out, are you freaking out? No, I'm just very interested in your hair and the magical qualities that it possesses. How long has it been doing that exactly?"

"Uh. Forever, I guess? Mother says that when I was a baby, people tried to cut it. They wanted to take it for themselves." The girl reached back and pulled her hair back. Jack could just see a small strand of short brown hair. "But, once it's cut, it turns brown and loses its power."

Jack heard a small rustling a little distance away, and some faint voices. Was someone else here spying? He was kind of starting to feel like he was intruding on this moment, and he couldn't even be seen. He left the two strangers and went to investigate. A good hundred yards away and he found a woman wearing a dark cloak talking with two tall, muscular red heads. "Now, I'm going to go and talk my daughter. If she won't come back with me then I'm going to give her the crown. I know that she will give it back to Rider and he will in turn give it back to you. That's when you can get your revenge. For now, however, we need to be patient."

Jack sat back reeling. That woman was the girl with the glowing hair's mother? And she was plotting with these thugs for revenge? "What kind of mother are you?"

One of the other two spoke up. "How do you know Rider will give it back? He could take the crown and disappear."

The woman looked toward the campsite of the other two. "Just look at him, he's already in love. He'll give the crown back, take my word. By tomorrow night, you'll have gotten your revenge, the crown back and the magical hair." The men looked please at that.

And the magical hair? Was that woman selling out her daughter, to those men? Anger boiled up in Jack and he froze the ground beneath one of the thugs who slipped and fell with a thud, causing the other to shush him. Jack wanted to be able to do something else, something to prevent the three from their whole revenge agenda or keep them from hurting the two in any way, but he felt useless.

He couldn't warn the two, that Rider guy, or the girl with the hair. They wouldn't be able to see or hear him. He couldn't freeze the group themselves to stop them in their tracks; he was never able to use his powers directly on living creatures for some reason, just the areas around them. He couldn't even physically stop the woman from approaching the campsite; she just walked right through him with a shiver.

Frustrated, Jack flew back to the castle town. Maybe he could somehow get the guards to go into the forest and see what was going on. He tried to get the ones guarding the bridge to the castle but they only complained about a draft to each other. He tried to get the wind to carry off one of their helmets, but those were attached to the guards' heads by chin straps.

"Oh come on. Just go that way." There were wanted posters on the wall of the bridge and one of them depicted the two thugs on the revenge. "See this?" He pulled the paper off the wall. "These guys are over there, in the forest, about to do bad things." But they didn't see him.

Unheard. Unseen. Useless. There were two love birds in the forest with magical glowing hair and about to be tricked into a plot for revenge that will hurt both of them. And he couldn't do anything to stop the woman and the thugs behind it all. Jack flew off to an isolated part of the forest and let out his frustration and anger in full, throwing ice and frost out in big bursts only to have everything start melting immediately. His powers were weaker here in this summer's land.

Needing to feel stronger, he asked the wind to take him north. He found himself in a high altitude mountainous area. There were still patches of snow and he frosted the ground. By morning, all the towns in the area looked white and sparkly and every source of water was frozen by about an inch.

Feeling only slightly better, Jack flew back to Corona. He couldn't do anything about the Rider guy or the woman in the cloak, but he did promise to spend time with Hiccup while he was there, and there was Merida to catch up with. Maybe they could get his mind off of last night.


	4. Castle Town Part 1

**Here's a quick timeline: This takes place five years after How to Train Your Dragon, Jack met Hiccup the winter after the movie took place when he was thirteen. Brave took place earlier in the summer, and Jack met Merida two years ago when she was sixteen. Jack's movie is running kind of along a parallel universe so things along that storyline will be different. And of course, it's taking place during Tangled.**

**I hope that clears some things up for you all.**

Hiccup was on his way to the dining hall when Jack joined him. Instead of his usual excited chatter and jokes, the winter spirit seemed almost sullen and distracted. Worried, Hiccup asked him what was wrong but Jack just shrugged and shook his head.

"Nothing, I can do." He said. Hiccup couldn't get him to say anything more.

Bothered by his friend's behavior, Hiccup tried to distract him by talking about the rumors he heard the maids whispering about in the halls. "I heard that there has been a strange, icy, phenomenon affecting the town's fountains. There was a maid in one of the hallways talking about how the one in the back courtyard looks like a frozen statue of water." He looked at his friend. "She called it a beautiful miracle." That brought a smile to Jack.

"I froze about five of them last night while I was wandering around." He laughed. "I bet people will be talking about that all day, too bad it'll all melt soon. Ooh. I also went to some mountain village way north. By the time I was done there, the whole place was covered in frost." He fell silent again as he remembered the reason he went up there in the first place; to let lose all his frustration at not being able to do anything last night. Hiccup just looked worriedly at his friend, but fell silent too.

They soon reached the dining hall and within moments the red-head, Merida, was there. "Come sit wi' me, Jack." she said, grabbing a hold of his hand and pulling, "I've got to tell ya' about what happened this summer."

Jack looked back as he was pulled away. "You coming Hic?"

Hiccup, relieved to not be left out, smiled and was about to follow when Stoick called from behind. "Aye, Hiccup. O'er here, lad." The rest of the vikings had chosen a seat in the opposite direction Merida was pulling Jack. Caught between his people and his friend, he hesitated before going over to the vikings. He gave an apologetic shrug to Jack as he turned. It would have been difficult to explain to the others why he was going to sit with a Scottish princess he only met briefly last night, instead with his own people. That was what he told himself at least. In truth, he felt a little on the out when it came to Jack's other friend. He still felt a little betrayed that his friend hadn't told him.

Over at the vikings table, Hiccup could see Jack sitting with Merida, listening as she talked, her arms gesturing wildly as she told a story. She sat a little apart from the rest of her group, who looked like they were listening to a different story being told by a big man; almost as big as Stoick, Hiccup noticed. He recognized the queen from last night, Queen Elinor, sitting next to the man, who must have been Merida's father.

Eventually, breakfast was finished and the vikings split up to go to their various activities. Stoick and Gobber went to confer with the King and the other royal leaders who were visiting. Mildew and Spitelout went off to who knew where, and Snotlout went off to flirt with the castle town maidens. Jack was still by Merida's table.

"Guess I'm on my own." He said out loud, to nobody in particular. He started heading toward the main castle entrance.

He was almost to the door when he felt a cold gust of wind behind him. "Hey, wait up Hic." Jack called. Hiccup turned to see Jack flying down the hall, leaving gusts of wind and a frost on the walls in his wake; and Merida, running behind him in a dark blue dress, her hair still a wild mane of red curls. Hiccup stopped and waited for the other two to catch up.

"Ya could 'ave waited for us." Merida said, slightly breathless. "Now we can all go tae town together." A second later, she was already out the door, guards saluting her as she passed through the doors to the outside.

Hiccup and Jack exchanged a look before hurrying after her. "Sorry, I just figured you two would be too busy catching up, and all." Hiccup said when they were all together. "I didn't want to feel like a third wheel and all." He trailed off.

Merida looked at him, "Wha's tha supposed to mean? Jack and I are jus' friends. I only wanted to tell him abou' what happened a few months back. Ya see, me mum wanted tae marry me off to one of the other clan's sons. I di'nt want to be married so I accidentally unleashed this ancient bear curse that almost killed my mum."

"Whoa." Was all Hiccup to think to say at that story. "An ancient bear curse, huh?"

"Uh huh. And we also managed to kill the daemon bear, Mor'du, who had also been cursed thousands of years ago."

"Wow." Hiccup wasn't sure whether to write this off as a tall tale, or actually believe the girl about the curse and ancient demons. Then again, his best friend was an invisible winter spirit and at home he ran a dragon training academy with his pet nightfury. Yeah, she could be telling the truth.

"I still can't believe you'd do that to your own mom. I'm just glad you guys seem close again after all that." Jack said, lacing his fingers behind his head as he walked between them. "I mean, you tried to physically change her to get out of marriage and suddenly everything between you two is all huncky-dory."

"I guess spending time in the forest, away from the castle and the all the rules and restrictions, allowed us to get tae know each other again."

"So what happened to this Mor'du guy?" Hiccup asked. "You said that he was cursed thousands of years ago? Why was he still alive?"

"We think tha' the witches curse kept him like that. It gave him the strength of ten men but not the soul of one. He wandered the forest for years as a menace. Took ma da's leg when I was a wee girl."

"Your dad lost his leg?" He looked down at where his leg used to be, before he lost it almost five years ago. Since then he had modified his prosthetic leg to be able to do almost anything a real one could. He was still a little limited when it came to running or hiking, but it made riding Toothless easier.

Merida noticed his metal foot. "Oh! Wha happened to it?" She asked, kneeling down to get a better look.

"I lost it years ago in a... fire." He said simply. He left out the part about almost falling to his death after causing the Green Death to crash into the earth amid its own inferno. He needed to be careful to not mention Toothless or any of the other dragons. His father didn't want other kingdoms to know that they have figured out how to train them and keep them as pets instead of endlessly fighting them.

The three were silent for a while as they continued walking. They were passing through a residential area near the castle courtyard and people were already about and attending to their morning business. After a while, Hiccup finally spoke up. "So, how did you guys meet?"

Jack and Merida exchanged a glance. "Two years ago, I was doing my rounds in Scotland, flying through the forest when I heard someone calling out my name. I investigated and came face to face with this crazy redhead who was wandering the forest yelling 'Jack Frost' at the top of her lungs. I was pretty surprised when I found out that she could see me, too."

"Maudie, one of our maids, was complaining about the cold an' she blamed Jack Frost, saying that he 'ad come early this year or something. I knew spirits like the Will-o-the-Wisps existed so I figured that Jack Frost may be real too. I had gone out to try and find him and I saw a bit o' blue pass by and I knew he was real." Merida explained. "Since then we've been friends, but Jack only comes around every couple weeks in the winter."

"It's too warm in the Summer; mostly I stick to the poles or the Northern Islands during that time. I only came to Corona to keep Hic company and because I was curious what it was like down here." Jack patted Hiccup on the back as he talked. "Totally worth it so far, though the heat is a bit uncomfortable."

Hiccup smiled. Those were the months that Jack spent at Berk. There was a very short summer season and a long, cold winter. Like, nine months of winter usually. During the short summer, Jack usually wandered around, visiting other areas and bringing frost and cold to different time zones. He was almost glad now that he knew Jack had someone else to visit with during those months. He was still a little jealous, but now getting to know Merida a little better, she seemed alright.


	5. Castle Town Part 2

**Essentialy, this story is pretty much the same as the one my friend posted online, but I've edited and improved on the writing and some of the things I noticed in the first draft.**

The group continued on through the castle town, taking in the sights. They passed assorted shops and went in to browse a couple. Merida got excited when she saw a bow and arrow display in a weapon shop's window and wanted to go in. It wasn't a big shop, but the weaponry there was styled differently than at Berk. Hiccup noticed there were hardly any of the brute weapons favored by the vikings; like clubs and maces. There was hardly a full shelf of them and only the basic forms of the weapons were present. The store had a bigger selection of swords, daggers, and bows.

Jack noticed the staves section and was looking at the different styles, comparing to his own staff. "Who knew they could be used as a blunt weapon," He said "Mine is better for channeling my powers though."

Merida went to look at the arrows, which from her excited chatter Hiccup figured had a variety of ranges and flight patterns based off of the wood and fletching or something. Arrows weren't commonly used on Berk, so he didn't know much about the dynamics of archery techniques even though he apprenticed in the weapons shop when he was younger. Hiccup himself wandered the store, stopping to look at accessories and attachments. He had always enjoyed looking at the mechanics that went into helping improve aim or power of tools.

Eventually they left the store and continued down the main lane. Merida had considered getting a new quiver of arrows, but didn't want to carry them around all day. As they walked they talked a little bit about the different weapon preferences from their home kingdoms. Hiccup talked about the favoritism of hammers, axes, and bare hands when it came to fighting. Merida bragged about how she was the best archer in the kingdom and how swords and maces were common on the training grounds. "Does your village end up fighting a lot?" She asked, "Ya sound like you've seen yeour fair share of battles. Our kingdom is at peace but there are competitions at the yearly games."

"When I was younger there was a lot of fighting; raids and attacks that we've had to combat frequently, almost every day actually. There haven't been many attacks since we've... made that peace treaty." Hiccup caught himself from mentioning how they had trained the dragons to be friends instead of major pests. Now they only had to worry about invaders or those who want the dragons for themselves.

"Wow, that must have been exciting. And maybe a bit scary, too." Merida said, eyes shining with the thought.

Hiccup shrugged. "It was a little bit. How many dr- opponents you defeat gave you status and popularity. I was never allowed to fight because I was so-" He gestured to himself, "Small. But I was apprenticed to the weapons master for years, so I got my fair share."

Jack his arm around Hiccups shoulders as he remembered the time when he was considered useless and troublesome. He hadn't known Hiccup until the winter after, but he knew how Hiccup felt about his size in comparison to the other vikings. "And look at what you've achieved since then." He said with a smile.

Hiccup smiled back at his friend. It was true; since those years of fighting dragons, Hiccup had opened up a dragon training academy, invented things that made work easier and more efficient and basically changed the way of life for the citizens of Berk forever. And all that was after he befriended the rare and powerful nightfury dragon, figured out the reason for the constant dragon raids, and destroyed the dragon king.

Merida looked at them and saw their deep friendship. It reminded her that Hiccup had been Jack's friend much longer than she. "How did you two meet, anyhoo? I know hardly any can see ya, Jack."

Jack and Hiccup exchanged a look. Hiccup had first come across Jack while flying Toothless one day. Toothless had sensed the winter spirit's presence and curious, gave chase. Since Hiccup couldn't see what was making the dragon act weird, he had decided to do some research to figure it out, but he couldn't find anything that could have caused Toothless to go crazy and so had pushed the incident to the back of his mind. Meanwhile, Jack had continued to tease the dragon, thinking it great fun that something could sense him like that. A few days later, Gobber had complained about the cold and made an off-hand comment about Jack Frost being in town. Curious, Hiccup began to look into who Jack Frost was and while talking to Toothless about how Jack Frost apparently was the bringer of winter and cold winds, he had heard a scoffing laugh and turned to see this white haired boy perched on a staff and listening in on the conversation. Toothless hadn't liked Jack at first, but once Hiccup could see the spirit and they became friends, the dragon warmed up to him.

Hiccup couldn't talk about the nightfury's influence in their friendship so he just told Merida about how he had heard the name, done some research what was known about him and by talking about him had suddenly been able to see him.

"I sometimes hear my name being passed around as a phrase and I stopped to listen to Hiccup talk about me. Boy was I surprised when he heard me laugh and turned to actually see me." Jack added. "It was the first time I have ever met a person who didn't look right through me. It was the best feeling ever to have a real friend to talk to." Jack had lived a long time without anyone being able to see him, so to just come across a boy who happened to be talking about him and then see him was almost magical. He thanked the moon for Hiccup's friendship, and Merida's too.

A while later, they had visited other stores briefly and had made it almost to the bottom of the castle town's main road. By then it was about lunchtime and they considered getting something to eat. Hiccup volunteered to get some pastries from a vender nearby. Jack and Merida retreated to the shade while they waited. With the sun now at full force, it was a bit too warm for Jack's comfort. It was cooler in the shade and Jack's presence made the area's temperature drop ten degrees. Some of the people nearby noticed and enjoyed the relief from the heat as well, sighing in the cool break from the sun.

Along the wall of one of the buildings, Jack noticed a cluster of wanted posters and investigated. There were more of the posters he saw last night of the two thugs, and another one showed a wanted man that looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't tell from where.

"WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE." The poster read. "Flynn Rider, Thief." Flynn Rider... Flynn Rider. Had he heard that name before? No. Probably just heard it among the voices of the townspeople as he was flying about yesterday. He shrugged off the nagging feeling of familiarity and turned his attention to Hiccup who was returning with three pastries in his hands. Merida had found a small bench in the shade and they sat down to eat.

"Wha's that over there?" Merida asked a minute or two later, pointing toward a section of street that had colorful patches on the ground.

"I don't know," Hiccup said, craning his head to see better. There were adults standing around, blocking his view, but what he could see were some kids on the ground drawing. "Chalk?" He wondered.

Jack flew up to see and came down a second later amid a gust of wind. "It's a chalk drawing activity. There are some really cool pictures there, too."

"Ooh." Merida smiled and wiped her hands on her dress, having finished the pastry. "Let's go check it out." Hiccup finished his own pastry and trailed behind as the other two checked out the drawings. Jack stayed on the ground, careful not to blow any of the chalk away.

The three admired the drawings spread out across the courtyard, and the little kids working on them were having a lot of fun. It reminded Hiccup of the time Toothless had tried drawing in the dirt. It was a mess of squiggles but the dragon had been proud of it, getting angry if Hiccup stepped on any of the lines and messed it up. He smiled at the memory. Ahead, Merida and Jack had found an empty space of stone and Merida had secured a basket of the colorful chalk.

"Come and draw, Hiccup." Merida invited, gesturing to a space next to hers. Hiccup hesitated but decided to join in. Merida was drawing a bear on all fours wearing a crown against a green forest background; Jack started drawing the night sky and the moon with golden lines swirling around. Hiccup's was a picture of Toothless flying against a blue sky, and.

What they were drawing was like the dream sand creatures Jack had seen last night. It made him happy to see his two best and only friends together like that.

When Merida finished her bear she looked over at Hiccup's picture. "A dragon? I've 'eard stories about those and how they ravage villages."

"I like to think that dragons are intelligent and gentle creatures." Hiccup responded, finishing up his own drawing. His hands were covered with the chalk he was using. He looked over to Merida's bear. "Why does it have a crown?"

"It's my mum, when I accidentally cursed her this summer. My dad is kind of known as the Bear Kings, and the bear is our house sigil."

"Hey guys, come look at this drawing." Jack called from little ways off. He had wandered to look better at some of the other pictures after he finished his. Hiccup and Merida came to investigate and found a large drawing of the gold Corona Sun surrounded by happy people in purple. It was incredibly detailed and others were admiring it as well. The artist didn't look to be nearby, but the sun was still impressive to see. They stood admiring the pictures for a while before moving on.


	6. Kingdom Dance

**Here's a new chapter. I hope you guys are enjoying it so far. Read and Review.**

It was late afternoon when they heard the music. A fiddle and a flute started playing in the distance and soon after laughter and clapping hands could be heard. Curious, the viking, the princess, and the winter spirit went to investigate.

There, in the castle town village square, a dance had started; the people whirling about in lines and leaping and clapping. They looked like they were having fun and even the crowd that had gathered around the edges were enjoying themselves.

"Let's join in!" Merida suggested. She looked toward Hiccup and Jack, bouncing in eagerness.

"I don't know, Merida." Hiccup hedged. "I don't really know the dances here. And I'm not really good at dancing in general, I mean, in Berk dancing is only done at rare events and there aren't-"

"Oh, come on!" She grabbed Hiccup's hand and tried to pull him into the whirling dance, but he dug in his feet. Hiccup had never been very coordinated and had avoided dancing as much as he could in the few yearly festivals that included dancing in the activities at Berk. Astrid had tried for years to teach him but gave up eventually.

"You go ahead." He said, pulling his hand free. "I'll just watch over here with Jack."

"Oh no you don't." Jack said. "You know I'd join in if I could and I'm not letting you sit on the sidelines using me as an excuse." He nudged Hiccup from behind and succeeded in pushing him into the crowd. Within moments the dance had caught up Hiccup as someone or another grabbed him and pulled him along. Merida joined in too, with a laugh, dancing from partner to partner and picking up the steps to the dance quickly.

Jack sat back in the shade and watched his friends dance. As soon as Hiccup found the rhythm he seemed to enjoy himself. Jack couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy at how they could to do things like dance while he was invisible and intangible most of the time. It was true that there were some things that he was able to do that no one else could that were awesome, but... it looked like fun to be able to dance like that.

Over to the side he noticed a girl with long, braided blonde hair gesture to a man standing off to the side to join in. They looked familiar. The man shook his head no, but the horse he was standing next to nudged him in, like what Jack did with Hiccup. Jack laughed at the look the man gave the horse before being pulled off by one of the dancers. The horse snickered too, then looked toward the frost spirit. Jack stopped laughing, startled by scrutiny.

"You can see me too, huh?" He moved closer. There was a medallion on the horse's front with the Corona insignia and a name. "Maximus, huh? Interesting name for a horse." The horse snorted and made an indignant face. Jack laughed again. This was one character of a horse. Not many had as many facial expressions or a wild personality like this. Merida's horse, Angus, had a personality as well but he was more like the good listener and caring type. This horse seem fiery and opininated. "I like you, Maximus." He said. Maximus snorted and nudged him. Jack took it as a sign that the horse liked him back.

His attention turned back to the dance as the tempo increased and the fiddle could be heard soloing over the other instruments playing. He saw Hiccup pass by, clumsily leaping along with the others but still enjoying himself, caught up in the music. He noticed the blonde girl again, her hair was really long. Braided it was about the same length of Queen Elinor's hair. He could just imagine what it would be like completely down...

Wait a minute. He looked closer. Could it be her? From last night in the forest? The girl with the ridiculously long hair that glows? It was dark last night, but that face, it was familiar. No, it couldn't be. What about the woman and the plot for revenge? Why would she be here in the castle town? Maximus looked toward and snickered questioningly, sensing a change in Jack's mood as he watched the girl.

"Huh?" Jack looked back at the horse, who raised his eyebrows in a question. _What's wrong?_

"Oh, nothing." Jack shook of his confusion. "I just felt as if I've seen that girl," He pointed. "somewhere before. Last night in the forest." What had that woman and those two thugs done last night, then? There was something about a revenge plot... He tried to think about the conversation he had heard last night. There was something about a crown. The woman was planning to give the girl a crown who was then going to give it the guy. Then the woman and the thugs would take their revenge, right? And now those two were here in the town; that meant he still had time to warn them! "I just have to figure out a way to let them know." He muttered that last to himself.

Maximus shook his mane as if to say_, I have no idea what you're talking about. _Jack just shrugged.

The music started rising in a fast climax and with a final note ended. The dancers all spun one last time and ended facing a partner as the last note rang out. Jack noticed that Hiccup had ended with the blonde girl, and Merida with the man the Maximus had pushed into the dance. That must have been the man from last night, Rider or whatever.

Hiccup was breathless when he ended the dance and smiling broadly. It was fun, even though he had kept stumbling. There were so many steps and lines that eventually he had given up trying to copy everybody and just followed the flow. Why had he kept putting off Astrid all those years? Then again, dancing was kind of different in Berk. A lot different, actually. Most of the dances included everyone in the village holding hands in a circle and moving three steps one way and one step the opposite way. Everyone had to move at the same time in order for the dance to move in rhythm or they would bump into their neighbors. There were also dances with more complicated steps and rhythms that he could never pick up, and dances in which partners circled each other with one hand touching then move back in lines then meet again. It was all confusing and structured mainly around the right steps and patterns. Here it seemed more free and flowing and fun. This dance was more about the fun of movement than the need to get the steps in synch with the others.

He looked down at the girl he had ended the dance with; a pretty blonde with long braided hair laced with flowers and a wearing a purple dress. He let go of her hands and looked away shyly. She wasn't wearing any shoes. Dumbly he pointed them out to her. "Where are your shoes?"

"Oh, um..." The girl looked down at her feet, as if unaware that they were bare while everyone else's was shod. "I've never worn any. Well, except during the winter when it gets too cold to go without socks." She noticed his own feet. "Your leg." She noticed, tilting her head to the side to get a better look at it, her hair almost touching the ground.

"Yeah. It's mechanical, I know. I'm Hiccup, by the way." He held out his hand to distract her attention from his foot. It made him kind of uncomfortable talking about it.

"Rapunzel." She shook it. "That's a funny name."

"Yeah, I know."

Merida let out a joyful laugh after the dance. It was amazing. The style was different than the dances back home. It was more fun as the country style dances the castle would do on feast days. Those dances usually paired off into couples and groups that went skipping and circling around each other. The other style of dancing, the Highland dance, was awful. It was supposed to be a competitive style, just her leaping and dancing in boring, repetitive patterns. Her mum had put her in lessons when she was young and she hated how boring it was, so structured and with no freedom of excitement anywhere. That was why she preferred the country dances, and she absolutely loved this one. It was free and flowing and the people all moved together instead of in sections. She wanted another dance to start up but the people around her were scattering, chatting with friends and going back to their businesses.

"Well that was fun." The man she had ended with dropped her hands and began looking around. "Now where did Blondie go?"

"Well, nice dancin' wi' yeh, too." Merida said sarcastically as he began to wander off. The nerve of the guy, not even a hello. He just dropped her hands like they were contagious and walked off. He could have at least said something to her, given his name, asked for hers, made friends. She made a face behind his back, and then turned her attention towards looking for Hiccup and Jack. She spotted Hiccup first, talking with a girl. She made her way through the crowd toward him and noticed in her peripheral that the man was moving that way, too. He must have found whoever it was he dismissed her so rudely to find. They ended up approaching the other couple together.

"Rapunzel!" The guy called. The girl next to Hiccup turned and smiled and waved when she saw the guy.

"Hi, Flynn! Wasn't that fun?"

"Fun enough. Dancing isn't really my thing, though."

"Hey, Merida." Hiccup said, noticing the redhead behind Flynn.

"Hey, Hiccup." She was miffed that the guy had followed her to the same place she was going on top of ignoring her after the dance. It wasn't that she found him attractive or interesting. Or that she wanted to talk to him after the dance. She was just upset that he had dropped her hands and then walked away from her like she was nothing. She was a princess for goodness sake. People didn't just ignore her and walk away. "Where's Jack?" She said, pointedly ignoring the blonde and the rude one next to her.

Hiccup looked around. "I don't know, wasn't he over th- aha. There." He pointed towards a shock of white hair moving through the crowd, a white horse walking right next to him. The people Jack Frost passed shivered and sighed at the cold air that touched their skin in the spirits wake. He waved a hello and the horse gave a friendly whinny. Rapunzel and Flynn turned to the horse in welcome.

"Maximus!" Rapunzel exclaimed and rubbed his nose fondly.

Merida and Hiccup looked at Jack questioningly. Why was he with a horse that seemed friendly with the couple that they had grouped up with? They couldn't voice their questions without Flynn or Rapunzel noticing. "The horse can see me. He's cool." Jack said, simply, guessing at his friends thoughts. A mischievous glint crept into his eyes. "I think he may actually have more personality than Toothless. And he's definitely way better than, Angus, Merida."

"Angus is one o' the best horses yeh can find anywhere. Don't beah comparing 'im tae other horses." Merida burst. Offended she pointed a finger at him then became aware of the startled stares from the people and horse around her. She put her hand behind her back and stood straighter with a fake smile on her face. "I was jus'- He- Tha's a fine horse ye have there." She tried to cover up her embarrassment, but failed. Jack burst out laughing, and Merida glared at him before looking down. She realized too late that Jack had only been goading her to talk to him in public like that.

Hiccup had managed to keep his tongue about Toothless, realizing just in time that Jack was teasing. There was no personality that could compare to Toothless', which could be considered very catlike in other kingdoms. And he knew that Jack always enjoyed watching Toothless' antics and playing. Hiccup too stared at Merida is surprise at her outburst, then had to bite his tongue from laughing at her attempts to cover it up. Even the horse found it funny.

Rapunzel and Flynn just looked at her like she was crazy at first. Then, seeing her embarrassment Rapunzel approached her and took her hands and gave her a smile. Merida looked up and smiled back; everything was alright. "What's your name?" The blonde asked. "I'm Rapunzel. And this is Eu- Flynn and Maximus." She gestured to the man and the horse. Flynn nods and Maximus whinnied in greeting.

"We've met." Merida scowls at Flynn, "Ayh'm Merida." The girls then launch into a conversation of compliments of dresses and hair and other such topics. The guys stood there dumfounded for a second at the interaction, barely following what they were talking about and having nothing to input. Awkwardly Flynn reached up to scratch the back of his head, Hiccup shuffled his feet, and Jack and Maximus just stared.

To break the silence, Hiccup reached out a hand to introduce himself to the other. "Hi, I'm Hiccup."

"Flynn. Nice to meet you. Um, interesting friend you have there. Does she... burst out randomly at nothing like that...often?" He shook his hand and eyed Merida warily.

"I couldn't really tell you." Hiccup admitted. "I only met her last night, via mutual friend. From what I could tell though she's pretty excitable."

"Gotcha."

The sun disappeared behind the castle, and in the shadow, everyone realized the time. The ceremony was going to start soon. "To the boats!" Someone from the crowd called out.

The girls stopped talking and turned back to the group. Rapunzel looked both excited and nervous; she put her hands to her face and stood frozen. "It's almost time." She whispered to herself. This was something that she had wanted to see for a long time and now she was about to fulfill her dream.

Flynn took her hand. "Come with me." He said, "I want to show you something." He began to draw her away toward the docks, where others were boarding ships, Maximus following behind. Rapunzel turned for a second to wave at Merida and Hiccup before going along.

"It was nice to meet you."


	7. Golden Lanterns

**This is one of my favorites. You might want to listen to the full song of At Last I See the Light, when they are on the lake.**

**This chapter is also where I start to make changes in the plot from the original posting. The story is going to take a slight turn from here, but the ending will lead to the same place.**

"Well, should we go back to the castle, or find a good place down here to watch the lanterns?" Hiccup asked, casting a glance towards the palace. Before either Jack or Merida could answer, he heard a familiar voice call out his name and inwardly groaned.

"Hey, Hiccup. Enjoying Corona?" It was Snotlout, coming towards him with his arms around two attractive girls. "I'm going back to the castle with these pretties for the best view of the lights." He casts an appraising look at Merida. "You're invited to come with your friend if you want." He tickled one of the girls and she giggled and kissed him on the cheek. He had always been a player, flirting with all the girls. As he got older he became even more suave and during ambassador visits he would always find a local girl or two to hang on his arm until he left for home. It usually ended in a few broken hearts by the girls he enchanted. Hiccup found it disgusting.

"No thanks, Snotlout." He responded. "We were planning to see it from the lake." There was no way they were going up to the castle now, not with his cousin there.

Snotlout just winked and walked off. "See you later, then." He said.

Hiccup gave an apologetic look to Merida. "Sorry. We don't have to go to the boats if you don't want to. I just didn't want to go the same way he was. He gets pretty bad sometimes. You should see the way he acts around girls... Well, actually, you shouldn't, it's bad."

Merida made a face. "He seems awful. Aye feel sorry for yeh. I think the boats sound good like a good idea. Let's hurry."

Jack agreed and they hurried towards the docks. The big boats were already crowded when they got there, however, and going onboard with Jack would have been awkward given his invisibility and frost, so they opted to avoid the crowds and rented one of the smaller boats. They noticed a few others rowing out to the middle of the lake and Maximus, the horse, was standing on of the docks eating some apples. He snickered a hello as the group passed by and Jack waved back.

"That is one interesting horse." He said as Maximus sat on his haunches and looked out across the lake. "Almost like a dog." That made Merida laugh. Hiccup smiled, Jack once compared Toothless to a cat. He wondered how the two creatures would get along.

Soon they were near the center of the lake. Hiccup and Merida rowed while Jack walked along the side, his footsteps freezing the water where he walked. He tried to help push the boat along at first but it kept getting caught in the ice. He eventually gave up and let them row.

"Yeh can get in, you know." Merida said, patting the bench next to her.

"I don't want you guys to get too cold, now that the sun's down." He said as the ice grew around his feet.

"Don't be silly. It's still warm out; you'll be fine to sit with us. It's not like we're strangers to cold anyway." Hiccup added. Merida moved over on the bench and Jack jumped in. He barely rocked the boat with the addition of his weight; one of the benefits of being a spirit with command of the wind. He sat back and looked up at the stars. The sun had fully gone down and it was completely dark. The only light was that from the moon as it rose above them and the stars as they started to appear.

The trio sat back and waited for the lantern ceremony to start. All three were excited to be a part of this special celebration and to see this extraordinary event. Not every kingdom celebrated a lost princess' eighteenth birthday with a dazzling display of thousands of lanterns let loose into the sky in hopes that one day she will come home. It also isn't often that the leaders of surrounding kingdoms were invited to attend such an event.

The night sky was fully dark now, and was lit up by thousands of stars. Out on the lake it reflected in the water, making it feel like they were in the sky. There was no sign of the ceremony starting and the three were starting to fidget. To pass the time Jack froze designs in the water then watched them melt in the warm night.

"This is taking so long." He complained after the seventh drawing had floated away and melted. "I'm going to go see what's taking them so long." He called up the wind to carry him towards the palace, leaving his friends in the boat. "I'll be right back." He called.

The winter spirit was above the castle town when he saw the first lantern. It floated up, a single light against a dark castle backdrop. Then suddenly like embers coming to life, more lights appeared and spread along the streets. It was beautiful, watching the glow of golden lights fill the castle town. He flew back to the boat to watch with his friends, weaving between the first few lanterns floating up as he went. By the time he got back to the boat the sky was filled with the lights. Soon there were lanterns over the lake, too. Some floated right above the surface and some passed in front of the moon. The effect of them against the stillness of the lake made it feel like the whole boat was flying among thousands of golden firefly lanterns.

Merida gasped in wonder as she stared mesmerized at the beauty. It was breathtaking. Hiccup saw a lantern floating near the boat close to the water and gave it a push upward. Jack flew around the boat, winding his way around and between the lanterns and sending them whirling along little gusts of winds. He dragged his staff through the water, causing swirling paths of frost to form.

He looked downward at the boat. He was glad that he could spend this night with his two best and only friends. It was a stroke of luck that Merida ended up at the same place as Hiccup. He was grateful that Hiccup had invited him along on this trip. He could only imagine himself wandering the world leaving frost on the northern cities lawns or whatever like he normally did this time of year. Summers were usually so boring for him. This summer, however, was shaping up to be pretty awesome. He laughed and started chasing one of lights. His friends cheered when he caught it.

After a while the golden glow on the lake started to dim as the lights went out one by one. Eventually they were left in just the light of the moon, dark compared to the dazzling experience just minutes before. Back in the boat they floated on the lake and just talked about the lights and the castle town and the day. All three felt content to just sit there amid the fading lights, after all the excitement and topped off with the lantern ceremony.

Something kept nagging in the back of Jack's mind.

Soon, they were one of the last boats still on the lake and they decided it was time to go back to the castle. Turning, Jack saw a light from the corner of his eye; a green lamp on the opposite shore. A boat was heading toward it and Jack could see two figures inside, one of which with golden hair. Fear shot through his body as he remembered the plot he heard the night before. He had forgotten it in meeting Rapunzel and Flynn and then during the lanterns and now it may be too late.

He needed to stop the thugs and that woman before they could go through with their revenge. Every bone in his body was telling him to protect those two innocent lovers.

"Wait." He called as Hiccup and Merida started paddling toward the docks. "Go that way. Towards the shore. I need to tell you something. And I need your help, too."

Confused, they turned the boat and began paddling to shore. "What's the matter, Jack?" Merida asked.

"Last night I was flying through the forest and I came across those two we met in town. Rapunzel and Flynn. Rapunzel has freakishly long hair and it was glowing in the dark while she sang. That's how I found them in the first place." The other boat had reached the shore and one figure got out, leaving the other behind.

"We need to go faster." He started pushing the boat along, calling the wind to help him push it without him touching the water and freezing it against the sides. Soon, the boat was going faster than Merida and Hiccup could row and they pulled in the paddles.

Jack continued speaking over the wind. "There was this woman in the bushes spying on them and I overheard her telling these two others, these big thugs, about this plot to take revenge on Flynn. Something to do with a crown and magical hair. I think that those two are going to get hurt tonight and you two are the only ones that can help me stop them." The other figure had gotten out of the boat and was standing there, waiting.

"So that's why you were so upset this morning. Wait, a minute. How are we going to stop these people from hurting Rapunzel and Flynn? We don't have any weapons or anything." Hiccup asked over the wind.

Jack slowed, thinking. He hadn't thought of how. Only that he needed to do something.

"Tha's Rapunzel o'er there, right?" Merida pointed to the lone figure by the boat. "We get 'er safe on our boat, and then go get Flynn from wherever he went." She made it seem simple. But Hiccup knew it wasn't going to be that easy. They would still have to deal with whoever it was taking the revenge out on Flynn, and convincing Rapunzel to get in the boat with them wouldn't likely be straight forward; he saw the two of them together after the dance. There was no time to hash out a real plan, though, because they were getting closer to the shore.

Rapunzel looked at them in confusion as their boat pulled up on the sand. It took her a second to recognize them. "You're the ones from the marketplace." She realized. "What are you doing here? Flynn had to go take care of something, but then we were going to head back to the town to find an inn."

"He's walking into a trap!" Hiccup said as he got out and pulled the boat closer to shore. "He's in danger, and you are, too."

"Get in the boat." Merida called to her, reaching out a hand.

"Flynn's in trouble? Why?" Rapunzel asked. Fear growing in her eyes and she looked toward the couple of large boulders where Flynn had gone behind. She didn't take Merida's hand. Hiccup looked at Jack for help.

"Tell her that some people have a bone to pick with him and are using her and the crown to get it." Jack said from on top of the boat. He was trying to see past the rocks to figure out where Flynn had gone. Hiccup repeated Jack's words.

"How do you know about the crown? Flynn took it with him, when he left."

"Just trust us. We're here to help you." Hiccup tried to convince her. Suddenly they heard a cry cut off, followed by a thump.

"Eugene." Rapunzel cried and ran towards the sound.

Hiccup grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "No, don't. You're in danger, too."

Rapunzel struggled against him, confused and scared; wanting to make sure that Flynn was okay. "Let me go. Eugene!"

"Get her into the boat. I'll see if ay can help." Merida yelled out, running towards the sound. She grabbed a thick stick that was lying by the bushes. Hiccup watched her go feeling helpless; he didn't want Merida to rush into trouble alone. She could get hurt, and from what Jack had said, the other two were very large men.

"Jack." He called.

"On it." The spirit followed suit, and in a second both were gone behind the boulders.

"Let me go." Rapunzel cried, struggling again. She managed to break free of Hiccup's grasp but he put himself in her way, arms out. "He needs my help. Eugene!" She called again.

"Merida will help him. But you need to get into the boat. The ones after Flynn want you, too." She stopped then and looked at him with fearful eyes. "Trust me." He said. "You'll be safest in the boat."

"But..." She was torn, between the promise of safety and the need to help the man she was falling in love with. Hiccup started to herd her toward the boat and she let him.

Merida and Jack easily found the thugs who were busy tying an unconscious Flynn to the steering wheel of a boat.

"Hey, yeauh." Merida called, throwing a rock at the head of one of the Stabbinton Brothers. Her aim was right on, as always, and the man turned around with a growl. His eyes narrowed on the slim girl who had thrown the rock. He nudged his brother, who was finishing up securing Flynn to the boat.

"What do we have here?" The brothers jumped of the boat. The one that had spoken walked toward her as the other pushed the boat into the water. A big scar ran down his face. Jack hoped that Hiccup had managed to convince Rapunzel to get on the boat.

"I am Merida. Princess of DunBorough. Guest of the King and Queen of Corona. And I order yeauh tae release that man." Merida held herself up with dignity and power. It didn't work, however. The thug and his brother laughed and came closer.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked panicked. "Commanding thugs like a royal won't work. They're outlaws. They probably spit in the face of nobles."

"Trust me." She whispered

"A little girl like you shouldn't be out on a night like this. It's dangerous." The second man, an eye-patch covering one eye, drew a knife from a sheath and displayed it casually.

"Wouldn't want a guest of the king to get hurt, now would we." They were getting closer. Merida gripped her stick tighter.

"Run! Merida." Jack called. He froze the ground in front of the thugs. Merida reached down for another rock and threw it at the first one's head again, then turned and ran. They gave chase, but slipped on a light film of ice that had appeared before them. It didn't slow them much, though, but it did give Merida enough of a head start to disappear into the brush. Jack noticed the boat floating toward the docks on the other side of the moat. That crown could get Flynn in trouble if he was picked up by the guards. He could either follow Merida or make sure that Flynn was safe first. He'd have to trust Merida to hold her own for a minute.

Jack flew to the boat. It was bigger than the canoe they used to get there; it had a mast and steering wheel and what looked like a little cabin below decks. Flynn's hands were tied to the steering wheel with the crown attached to one hand and his back was secured to the mast so he was held upright. All of this to give the appearance that Flynn was sailing away, though the guy was out cold.

Jack sent a gust of wind toward the sail, which was only half out. This slowed the boat down to an almost stop. A few more gusts and it moved backwards a little, but it wasn't enough. The wind he called just wasn't strong enough to carry the whole boat back to the shore in time. He was just too distracted and in a hurry. The best he could do was push the anchor overboard and untie him. Jack gently lowered him to lie on the deck. Boy was he heavy. That should do for now; they could come back for him once everyone was safe.

Hiccup was about to help Rapunzel into the boat when a voice called out her name. "Rapunzel. Thank goodness, there you are." Turning, he saw a woman with a cloak and curly black hair.

"Mother?" Rapunzel asked, shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to save you, Rapunzel. That boy is trying to kidnap you. He'll take you to those who wish to use your hair for their own benefit. Come with me now." She held out a hand. Rapunzel hesitated, but moved towards the woman.

"Wait, Rapunzel." Hiccup put a hand on her shoulder. "She's with the guys who attacked Flynn. She set up the trap with the crown." That's what Jack said at least.

Rapunzel stopped and looked back; a frown forming on her face. "What are you talking about?"

Gothel narrowed her eyes at Hiccup, and he guessed that Jack was right. "He's lying, Rapunzel. I would never let you get hurt." Rapunzel went closer to her mother. She was now between the two.

"What about Flynn?" Hiccup asked. "Merida and- Once Merida finds Flynn, he'll come back for you."

"Flynn took the crown and left you. Can't you see? He never cared about you; all he wanted was his satchel back. Look." She pointed toward a ship that had appeared heading toward the castle town. At the helm was a lone figure holding the steering wheel and a glinting object.

Flynn.

Rapunzel gasped, tears brimming in her eyes. "No." She turned and ran into the open arms of her mother, who embraced her comfortingly.

"Let's go home, Rapunzel." Gothel spared a glance at Hiccup as she led the blonde girl away, her cloak flapping back to reveal a wicked looking dagger at her waist. The look she gave him was so full of malice and threat that Hiccup shivered.

"It's a trick. Flynn wouldn't leave you willingly. You know that." Hiccup tried one last time. They didn't turn around. Neither of the women had seen the flying boy in blue trying to turn the boat around. Or that Flynn's head was tilted downward. No one could have seen. And Hiccup had failed. Rapunzel had been taken. Willingly, yes, but she was now in the hands of the one she needed to be protected most from. There was something about that woman that screamed danger and the blonde girl he had just met chose to go with her.

Hiccup took a step forward, about to follow behind; to try and convince Rapunzel to come back, though he knew it was hopeless. Suddenly, he heard a crash through the bushes nearby and Merida burst out in full run. She tripped over some rocks and went sprawling on the ground.

"Merida! Are you okay?" Hiccup ran over to her and tried to help her up, but she gasped in pain and fell when she tried standing up.

"Ay think I twisted my ankle." There were scrapes all over her arms and face from running through the bushes.

The Stabbinton Brothers appeared behind her. They were breathless, and stopped to breathe once they saw Merida on the ground. Merida was breathing heavily, too. She must have led them on a chase.

One of the thugs looked up and scanned the area. "Where did the girl with the hair go?"

The other one looked up too and swore. "Gothel must have taken her while we were busy." He glared at Merida. "That snake. We gave up the crown and now we lost the girl, too." He went to punch a tree.

"She's gone?" Merida asked Hiccup in a whisper. He put her arm over his shoulder and helped her up. Keeping her weight off of her foot.

"Couldn't convince her to stay once her mother came. Seeing Flynn on the boat didn't help."

"Sorry. Ay didn't stop them in time."

"I saw Jack over there, trying to stop the boat."

"Sae that's where he went."

"Quit your whispering, you two. We're trying to think." One of the thugs said. He turned to his brother. "What should we do with them?" They didn't seemed concerned about the two running away, not with her ankle and the fact that Hiccup was supporting her.

"That one says she's a princess, though she don't act like one. We could ransom them. To make up for the crown." His brother nodded in agreement and pulled a coil of rope from over his shoulder. They approached the two. Hiccup backed up, leading Merida backward, but she stumbled and almost fell, only held up by Hiccup. He stopped moving and scooped her in his arms.

"Get them." The first one said.

A burst of cold air came from behind them and blew sand into the air. Jack. The flying grit blinded the thugs for a moment and Hiccup took the chance to turn and run. Jack stayed back and worked on blowing more sand into the air. It only delayed the two men for a moment, however and they kept up right behind Hiccup and Merida.

One of them grabbed at the back of Hiccup's tunic and pulled. He let Merida down and she hobbled forward before falling. Jack rushed forward to help Merida onto the boat while Hiccup threw a punch into the face of the man holding him. The Stabbington caught the punch with his free hand and twisted Hiccup's arm behind his back.

"Gotcha, you trouble maker." Hiccup kicked and struggled, but the second brother punched him in the gut.

"Hiccup!" Merida cried. She attempted to get out the boat, but hissed as she put weight on her ankle and only succeed in rocking the boat a little. Jack held her back.

"Go!" Hiccup said, wheezing. The air had been knocked out of his lungs. "Jack, make sure she takes care of that ankle." The winter spirit met his friend's eyes for a moment before nodding. He called up the wind to push the water around the boat and carry them off. Hiccup saw the look in his friend's eyes and knew that Jack would be back to help him once he was sure Merida was okay. He watched them get farther away as the thugs tied his hands behind his back.

"We should kill you after all the trouble you and your friends have given us." Thug Two, the one with the eye-patch, snarled, his knife in his hand.

"Wait," The other one held up a hand. "Maybe we can ransom him instead. You one of those royals, too?"

Hiccup considered lying and telling them he was no one. A commoner who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but then they might cut his throat instead of keeping him alive. These men wanted money, and to exploit that would be his best way at surviving.

He stood up as straight and proud as he could with his hands tied behind his back, his chin up and said in his most authoritative and powerful voice, "I am the son of the most powerful chieftain of the Barbaric Archipelagos and a guest of the kingdom as well. My dad will give you anything to get me back safely. We have jewels and gold aplenty."

It wasn't true. One; Stoick wouldn't pay for the release of his son; he would launch a one man attack to get him back. And two; they really didn't have all that much money. Berk usually traded food or goods for more food and goods when the traders came by. Their greatest asset was the dragons, but he wasn't going to share that with his captors.

All the same, the Stabbington Brother's eyes lit up at the thought of treasure and money, and Hiccup knew he was safe... for now.


	8. Sprained Ankle

**This chapter is very different from its original version. I changed a lot of the dialog and some of the action.**

**Hope you enjoy this one. Read and review. **

Instead of heading straight for the docks, Jack altered the course of the boat and aimed for another that was stalled in the middle of the lake.

"What are we doing?" Merida asked, realizing that it was the boat Flynn was on. The adrenaline rush had worn away and along with the pain in her ankle and the various scratches on her, she felt tired and angry and upset. They needed to turn around and help Hiccup, but Jack refused to listen to her. The image of him being punched in the stomach kept flashing before her eyes.

"After I stopped the boat and untied him, I kind of just left him lying on the deck of the boat." Jack responded. "I figure someone should tell him what happened when he wakes up. Do you mind?"

"Why me?"

Jack gave her a look. "Because I'm invisible, and he should know, plus he could help us find Hiccup."

Merida sighed. "Fine. Ay still think we shouldn't have left him back there."

"Not much we could do. Not with my limitations and your twisted ankle. Once we get Flynn, I'm taking you back to the castle so someone can look at that." He noticed it was starting to swell.

Merida groaned and leaned against the side of the boat. "It's just a sprain." She murmured. "Ay've had worse."

"Yeah, uh huh." He said skeptically as he started to slow down the boat.

Merida touched her ankle and winced a little, it was pretty bad, but she wasn't going to admit that. That stupid ankle is what caused Hiccup to get captured by the thugs. They should have gotten her instead. She looked back at the shore but couldn't see anything but a faint green light in the forest, growing dimmer. Suddenly, the boat bumped against the ship, shaking her out of her reverie.

Jack got out and tethered the canoe to the larger ship while Merida tried to climb aboard. It was a lot harder with an injured ankle than it was normally. The princess ended up rocking the boat a lot and falling until Jack reached a hand out for her and helped her up. Grudgingly, she accepted the help.

By the steering wheel of the ship came a groan as Flynn Rider came to."Mhmm? Who's there?" Suddenly, he sat upright. "Where am I? Rapunzel! Oh no oh no oh no. They got her. I have to-" He stood up and stopped when he noticed Merida, standing on the deck. "Who are you?"

"Ayh'm Merida. From the dance?" Merida snapped. Her first impression of him wasn't very high, and she was still frustrated by the events of the night.

"Right, the one who started yelling at a horse for no reason. Where's your friend? Never mind, there's no time for that, I need to help Rapunzel."

Merida rolled her eyes and gave a look to Jack that was a mixture of exasperation, frustration, and mild annoyance. Jack just shrugged and gestured for her to tell him.

"One, he was taken by those friends of yeughrs. And two, Rapunzel's mother took her away. We tried to stop her and help yeugh, but we couldn't."

Flynn had let started letting out the said and turning the boat around, but stopped when he heard her words. "What?"

"Rapunzel's mother made a deal with those two… jerks, to get revenge on yeugh for a crown and magic hair." She glanced at Jack to make sure she got that right. "We knew that they were going to do something and tried to get to you in time to help, but you were already tied to the boat, and then Rapunzel's mum came and took her away, and I hurt my ankle, and they caught Hiccup."

"Whoa, whoa whoa. Slow down, curly." Flynn stopped her. "How did you know what they were planning? I didn't know what they were going to do- though I probably should have- and I've known them for years. Wait, did you say I was tied to the boat?"

"Yeah… I- uh." Merida looked at Jack. _What do I say? _Her eyes said. It's not like she could tell him the invisible spirit of the north wind overheard a plot for revenge the previous night and had untied him, stopped the boat, and helped her get away."

"Tell him that you over heard them talking about it." Jack suggested after a second.

"How would I explain that?" She whispered. He shrugged. Flynn looked at her and then tried to see what she was looking at. He didn't see anything.

"Or that you saw something going on and came to help."

"That woon't work. Ay already said I knew about the plot." She mouthed.

Flynn raised his eyebrow and looked around uncomfortably, still seeing nothing. _She's crazy__,_ he thought. He noticed a glint by his feet. It was the crown. The Stabbington Brother's must have planted it on him when they dumped him on the boat. He put it in his satchel for safekeeping. He'll decide what to do with it later.

"I don't know then. Make something up. Say that you untied him after trying to help." The winter spirit shrugged.

"I..." Merida in a louder voice to Flynn. "I overheard someone talking about..."

"Using Rapunzel to get him the crown, so that he will give the crown back to them so that they can get revenge on him, the crown, and Rapunzel's hair." Jack said.

"Really? Er, um. I heard Rapunzel's mother talking about the crown and tricking you into giving it back to those guys so that they could take revenge on you and get the crown and Rapunzel's hair. And after we confronted them, we came heahre to rescue you." This was so complicated. And she'd been standing too long, her ankle was about to give out. She sat down on a barrel.

_Who does she keep talking to?_ Flynn edged wondered. Was someone else there, or what she crazy? "So what happened to Rapunzel?"

"Hiccup was trying to get her to come with us, so that she was safe from those guys, but her mother came and convinced to go away with her. He couldn't stop her."

"Where did her mother come from?" Flynn started to pace in the small area of the boat, rubbing his wrists as he went, they were a little red from being tied up earlier. The boat began to rock a little. "And why would she sell out her daughter to those thugs?"

"She was probably hiding in the bushes, waiting for the right moment to backstab them and 'rescue' her daughter." Jack said, standing next to Merida. "But why go through all that trouble?"

Merida repeated what Jack said out loud. Why would that woman go through all that trouble just to get Rapunzel to go with her?

Flynn stopped pacing after a second and looked at Merida, eyes wide. "Her mother set it all up to get her back. She wanted to keep Rapunzel in her tower and use her hair for herself."  
"Tower?" Jack asked.

"Devious witch." Merida muttered under her breath.

"That means Rapunzel is in trouble." Flynn went on. "We have to help her." He gripped the steering wheel turned it wildly, causing the ship to turn around. The motion caused Merida to fall off the barrel and put weight on her leg, she hissed in pain. Flynn didn't notice, but Jack did.

"We need to get you back to shore and get your ankle looked at." He said. "Tell him to drop you off at the docks."

"No. I'm fine. Ay want to help." Merida protested quietly.

"You can't even stand. Let me see your ankle." He said. She let him take her foot, grudgingly. His cold hands felt good on the swelling though.

"Sorry, but why do you keep talking to yourself. It's kind of weird." Flynn said from the steering wheel. He had gotten the boat turned around but it wasn't going forward. He went to check the sails and found that they were fine. "Why won't the boat go?"

"Jack?" Merida asked. "How did you stop the boat?"

"Have him turn around and I'll tell you."

"No." Merida looked around to see what could be keeping it still. Aha. "You let the anchor down." She said. Jack frowned and let go of her foot. "The anchor's down." She raised her voice.

Flynn looked over. "Aha.

"Please Mer." The winter spirit pleaded. Realizing that she wasn't going to listen, Jack switch to another tactic. "How do you guys expect to find her in the forest at night? Especially if Rapunzel's mother doesn't want her to be found."

Merida glared at him, but it got her thinking. How were they going to do anything so late at night?

Flynn hauled the anchor up and returned to the steering wheel, and hesitated. "I should probably drop you off at the docks so you can get home." He said

"Yes!" Jack cheered. "That's a good man."

"But I want to help." Merida complained. She was determined to help someone tonight, be it Hiccup or Rapunzel. She hated the thought of being inhibited by a stupid ankle. She was so exhausted though.

Flynn looked at her. "Those cuts need to be looked at, and didn't you say you hurt your ankle?"

Merida nodded dejectedly.

"Some ice and keeping it elevated should help it get better in a few days." Jack assured her. "Oh, here." He picked up her foot again and gingerly held it in his cold hands. "That should help a little."

"I still don't know how you managed to get your boat over her alone and injured like that."

"I had help." She mumbled. She used her other foot to nudge Jack in the shoulder.

"Help from who?"

"Nobody, never mind." It was annoying, sometimes being the one of only people able to see the winter spirit.

"O…kay, then." Flynn looked doubtfully at her. "Do you have anyplace to stay and get those taken care of?"

She nodded. "Ay'm a guest at the castle for thay princess' birthday."

"You're one of the royals visiting?" Flynn said, taken aback. "And you've been getting involved in all of this? And you've been injured?" His voice rose a little in pitch. "I was almost considering taking you along with me. I'm not on good terms with the kingdom as it is. Just imagine if they found me with a missing princess of… where are you from again?"

"Scotland. But-"

"A missing princess of Scotland who is probably already missed right now. I'd be dead before I could even explain."

"My friend was kidnapped by those thugs." Merida blurted out, interrupting Flynn's monologue. "He's a castle guest, too. The son of a viking king."

Flynn started pacing again, holding his head and mumbling to himself. "What did I get myself into? First Rapunzel, then you, and now your friend." He stopped for a second, as if trying to make a decision. "Okay, first things first. I'll take you back to the castle, and if I don't get taken up by the guards I will make an attempt to find your friend while I'm rescuing Rapunzel, okay?"

Merida looked at Jack. "I'll help find him too." He assured her.

She sighed and gave in. "Okay."

Flynn nodded and turned the boat around. Once they were facing docks, Jack called up some wind to help them along.

"This wind is really favoring us." Flynn remarked. "Bit chilly, though. Hey, you never answered me about why you keep talking to yourself?"

"Would ya believe me if I told you that I had an invisible friend who can control the wind?" He wasn't going to see Jack, she knew. But she was getting a little tired with having two conversations at the same time. And she was fed up with this night.

"Probably not. Though, I guess I've seen some strange things happen." Flynn answered, cautiously. Was she saying that she had an imaginary friend; that she talked to in public?

"Have yeugh ever heard of Jack Frost?"

_Now what was she talking about? _"Jack Frost? Can't say that I have. Wait, isn't he the one they say nips at your nose and leaves frost on the windows in the cold?"

Merida nodded.

"Then, I've heard tales from travelers about it. Don't get very cold winters here." _Could she be saying that her imaginary friend named Jack Frost? _Why was he in this situation?

"For the record, I have never nipped at anyone's nose." Jack remarked. He put Merida's foot down and sat on another barrel. "I don't even know where that rumor came from."

Flynn stiffened and turned to look around. "Who said that?"

Merida and Jack froze and looked back at Flynn. Did he just hear him? "I did." He answered, hesitantly. He held up a hand and waved.

Flynn Rider lifted his own hand and waved back at the strange boy with pure white hair, ragged trousers, and a pale blue sweater. "Where did you come from? Where did he come from Princess?"

"You can see me." Jack said, startled, then happily, "You can see me. Merida, you got him to see me." He gripped her shoulders and shook her.

"What jus' happened?" Merida looked between the two guys. Why did Flynn suddenly see Jack? How did he hear him? " Um, Flynn, meet Jack Frost."

"He's the one you've been talking to this whole time?" His voice was strained. "I mean is this real?"

"Real as you are." Jack commented. "Don't know how you can see me, but this is cool."

"Uh, huh." Flynn was pale, "And you've been here the whole time?"

"Yup."

"Okay, then. I think this is becoming one of the strangest nights that I've ever had, considering." He turned back to the steering wheel to keep the boat on course. They were almost to the docks. By now, most of the lights of the town had gone out and everybody was in bed. It was really late, and the nearly full moon was starting to sink in the sky.

A ways along the docks, sat Maximus still waiting for the return of Flynn and Rapunzel. His head turned to look at the incoming boat as it docked and he trotted over once he recognized the figures inside.

Flynn lifted Merida onto the docks where she leaned on Jack for support. Her ankle was still painful and she could barely put any pressure on it. Flynn kept glancing around in case any guards were about, but they were alone for now.

"Hey, Max, She's hurt her ankle and needs to get back to the castle before her family starts worrying. Would you help carry her?" The horse snickered and nodded his head, then maneuvered himself so that she could get on. Jack helped her up. Instead of heading straight off, Maximus looked intently at Flynn and raised his eyebrows as if to say: _you coming with?_

"Not a good idea to go with you, you know, given my wanted status. I'll wait here."

The horse snorted and glared at Flynn, meaning something along the lines of; _yeah, that's the point_. Maximus gestured to the side as if indicating that Flynn should walk ahead of him.

"Rapunzel's in trouble you know. If I get taken in, she could be seriously hurt." Flynn pleaded.

Merida and Jack watched the exchange with a mix of curiosity and amusement. It wasn't every day one saw a grown man arguing with a horse. Though, Jack had seen Hiccup argue with Toothless many times, and Merida often talked to Angus, this was somehow different. It was probably the way that the horse seemed to have more power in the situation that the human.

Maximus tilted his head and looked thoughtful, as if deliberating what he should do.

"Listen, Maximus. This girl needs to get back to the castle, pronto. It's late, she's injured, and besides, if you still want to catch me, I probably won't get far in the dark anyway. Just let me find Rapunzel first, okay?" There was something in Flynn's eyes, a desperation edging on fear for someone other than himself. Something told Jack that this was out of the ordinary for a man like this.

The horse seemed to find Flynn's proposal reasonable and nodded. He nudged the thief and snorted, then turned around and headed for the castle with Merida on his back.

Jack hung back for a second. "I'm going to make sure she gets there okay, then I'll come back and help you. I still need to find my friend who's still out there."

"That Hiccup kid, right? Well a little help couldn't hurt. I'm actually thinking of getting some sleep and tracking her down in the morning. The girl was right about it being too dark out." Plus, so much happened tonight that he really needed to sort it out and think about it. He was talking to a freaking spirit for god's sake!

Jack nodded and flew off. Flynn braced himself against the rush of cold air that followed, and shivered. When he was alone again, he stood there, pondering what had just happened. He reached into his satchel and pulled out the crown. It was an elegant circlet with three large tearshaped diamonds decorating the front while golden diamond studded spirals made their way around the crown and small amethysts accented it above the base.

This little thing has caused him a lot of problems, he realized. First it had led him on that chase through the forest where he found the tower, which then had caused him to get hit in the head with a frying pan by a barefoot girl who tied him up with her ridiculously long hair and then bribed him to take her to town to see the annual lantern event with his own satchel.

Yesterday alone he had a run in with ruffians at the Snuggly Duckling, escaped through a secret passage, fought a sword wielding horse with a frying pan, almost drowned in a mineshaft, and been healed by magical glowing hair.

All this because he stole a crown.

Did he regret it? No. He didn't, because then he wouldn't have met Rapunzel- or, he supposed, that princess and her invisible friend. He still couldn't quite believe that he had actually seen a boy appear out of thin air. Flynn Rider had had a long day, and once he got the boat to the opposite shore, safe and sound, he planned on finding a nice camping spot and sleeping until it was light enough to find Rapunzel.

He fingered the crown for a moment more, then, making a decision, reached back as if to throw it into the water.

"Hey, you there. What are you doing?" Someone shouted from behind him. More shouts followed and suddenly he was surrounded by castle guards, one of which seized the crown while another forced his hands behind his back.

The captain of the guard appeared before him and stood gloating for a second, before ordering Flynn to be taken away.

"I can't be taken now. She's in trouble." Flynn cried in vain as he was hauled away.


	9. Captured Viking

**Sorry for the late post. Life has been getting in the way and I ended up rewriting almost all of this chapter.**

**Anyway, here it is, enjoy.  
**

The whole town was quiet and dark as Maximus returned Merida to the castle. The soldiers posted at the castle gates recognized the horse and princess and ushered them inside. What felt like seconds later the wayward princess was surrounded by her mother and father, a few other of the visiting royalty, the king and queen of Corona, and the royal physician.

"What happened? We were so worried when you never came back. Oh look at your dress, and your face." Queen Elinor fussed.

Merida was exhausted. On the way back she had drowsed and woke with a start to realize she was at the castle. The noise and fuss everyone was making was jarring her nerves and she just wanted to go to bed. Her face and arms and ankle hurt, and she had been emotionally strained throughout the past few hours to point where she wanted to cry.

She did cry, once she started answering questions. It all came out in a jumble and there was so much that had happened and she had to think about what she could and couldn't tell without sounding crazy, thanks to Jack. "An' then Hiccup tried to help but they caught him…sniff… an' Ay was just able to get away. And then Flynn helped me get back and had Maximus bring me here… sniff… An Rapunzel was taken away and it was all for nothing."

Queen Primrose of Corona suggested that Merida get some sleep and they could hear her story in the morning, once she was rested. Queen Elinor agreed, and after a quick check on her injuries, Merida was carted to bed. Before she entered the castle, the princess managed to lock eyes with Jack; her eyes telling him to keep her updated on everything that was happening. The winter spirit nodded and crossed his heart in promise and the Merida was taken away.

Satisfied that she was in good hands, Jack Frost called the wind to carry him back to the docks. He wanted to see if Flynn was still there or had left already. The moon was fully in the west now, steadily setting and marking the passage of the night.

Near the castle walls, he noticed a commotion involving a group of guards escorting a man to the barracks prison. Looking closer, the winter spirit recognized the prisoner as the man he had just helped earlier.

Flynn Rider looked up into the night sky and noticed Jack watching. He pleaded with his eyes for help as he was pushed forward by the captain of the guard.

"I leave him alone for a minute." Jack said exasperated. After all his hard work to prevent this exact thing from happening, the man still ended up getting caught by the guards. He met the other man's eyes, sighed, then nodded and flew off. All night, just one thing after another. All he wanted to do right now was go help his friend, but now something else comes up that he has to deal with. He couldn't help a smile that came across his face. So this was what it was like to have more than one friend at the same place, to felt needed and helpful. It was nice and frustrating at the same time.

He couldn't think of anything that he could do help Flynn right now, though. However, something told him that he knew someone who could. After he was sure Hiccup was okay, the winter spirit could come back and help Flynn too. That plan would work for now.

Flynn Rider watched him go with a mixture of hope and disappointment. He realized that the strange boy he had only just met probably wouldn't help much with his predicament. But that hope had still been there. He needed to help Rapunzel. Dejected, he was taken into the barracks and locked in a cell.

Jack found Maximus by the castle stables, happily munching a basket of apples. The horse had been rewarded for bringing the Scottish princess back to the castle. The winter spirit told him Flynn's fate and the horse pricked his ears forward and snorted.

"He's probably the only one who knows where Rapunzel is." He added.

Maximus tilted his head and, coming to a decision, nodded. He gobbled up the last couple of apples and started off at a trot toward the castle gates. The winter spirit watched him go for a moment, and then lifted up into the air to fly towards the forest. He didn't know what the horse would do, but his instincts told him that he would do more for the captured thief than Jack could.

Jack flew back the shore where Hiccup was taken. It was abandoned now; like nothing had happened there only a little while go. The Stabbington Brothers must have taken the viking to their camp somewhere else.

He felt so guilty that he had let his best friend be taken by ruthless thugs and that his other friend hurt herself. But what could he have done otherwise? Of the two friends, he was able to save one and help another person who was in trouble ( although that didn't seem to stop him from being imprisoned in the end). Still, he needed to make sure that Hiccup was safe.

It took an hour to find the campsite. Flying low to the ground, he went back and forth between the trees. He was no good at tracking, and it was too dark to see footprints or other signs of travel, especially with the descending moon. It was the light of a dying fire and low voices that finally led him to the thugs' campsite.

Hiccup was tied to a tree, his eyes focused on the other two men. He had been tied so that his torso was held immobile and his hands were tied behind his back. His legs were splayed out in front of him. The two thugs, the Stabbingtons, were off to the side of the fire quietly talking among themselves. The young viking shivered slightly as a cold breeze brushed his skin and smiled. A second later he heard the voice of his friend.

"Hey Hic. You okay?" Asked Jack Frost crouching down next to him. Hiccup gave a small nod. After Jack and Merida had left, his captors had tied him up and dragged him to their campsite. Then they had secured him to the tree and basically ignored him, occasionally casting a glance or glare his way. They were still upset at what happened on the beach; the one with the eye patch wanted to take out his frustration on Hiccup, though the other one acted as the voice of reason, wanting to keep Hiccup in good shape for a hefty ransom. For now, it seemed as if he was safe.

"I got Merida safely back to the castle." Jack updated quietly. "That ankle looked pretty painful, but she's back with her family and resting. On the way back, we met up with Flynn where I stalled his boat and untied him. Those guys tie really tight knots."

Hiccup's mouth twitched into an ironic smile at that. He strained against his bonds and raised an eyebrow. _Tell me about it._

"Merida explained to him what happened on the beach and he took her back to the docks where Maximus, the horse, took her home." Jack continued. "Oh, and somehow, she got Flynn to see me."

Hiccup blinked, surprised. " Really? How?" He mouthed.

Jack shook his head. "I have no idea. She asked him if he's ever heard of me and the next thing I know he's looking right at me. It was so cool."

The viking prisoner smiled. _That's great._ His eyes said. _Another person who can see you. I know what that means to you._

"Hey, what are you looking at?" The scarred brother asked, from by the fire.

"Nothing."

The eye patched brother looked into the forest behind Jack. "I bet there's someone in the bushes."

"Nope. It's too dark over there. I can't see a thing." The captive answered.

"Go check it out." Scarface told his brother. The eye patched one got up with a knife in his hand and poked around the bushes and trees outside the circle of light cast by the fire.

"No one's out here but us." He said after a minute.

"See? I wasn't looking at anything."

Jack chucked. "Want me to rustle the bushes and mess with them?"

Hiccup shook his head slightly. _No. _That could backfire on him.

The two boys sat quietly now, watching the brothers, who in turn were watching Hiccup. After a while, the one with the scars clapped his brother on the back and announced that he was going to turn in. Eye Patch was taking first watch it seemed. While Scars settled in for rest, Eye Patch took his knife and a stone and began to sharpen it, keeping his eyes on the captive.

"That's kind of scary, the way he's looking at you." Jack said after a moment. "You know I could totally mess with him by rustling the bushes or freezing his knife or something."

Hiccup kept eye contact with the thug, not bothering to nod or answer Jack in anyway. It was both a blessing and a curse sometimes that Jack was invisible.

"I'm not going anywhere, you know, seeing that I'm a little tied up right now." Hiccup finally said. "You don't have to keep staring at me like that."

"You caused a lot of trouble for us tonight, you know that?" Eye Patch said dangerously. "Revenge on that backstabbing Rider, eternal life, but you and that girl ruined things. I'd cut your throat if it weren't for the ransom."

Hiccup gulped.

Next to him, Jack bristled. "If I could punch him or freeze him for you I would." As it was, frost was starting to spread out from where his feet touched the ground. "The second he looks away I'm getting you out of here."

After a while of silent staring, the only sounds being the hissing of the knife being sharpened, the cracking of the wood on the fire, and the occasional rustle of an animal, Hiccup felt his eyes growing heavy. It had been a long day, and an even longer night. Hearing the rhythmic shhh shhh sound from the man by the fire was strangely relaxing.

Suddenly someone was shaking him awake. A cold hand covered his mouth to keep him from making a sound. Jack.

"Come on. We have to go now." The winter spirit said urgently. "I already untied you, Let's go, hurry."

Hiccup blinked the sleep from his eyes and became aware of his surroundings. The fire had all but gone out but there was a lightening of the area that spoke of dawn not too far away. The Stabbington Brothers both lay asleep by the fire; the one with scars sitting where Eye Patch had been before, his head in his hands and eyes closed. A slight snoring sound was coming from that direction.

The ropes that had held him to the tree had fallen into his lap and he carefully untangled himself as quietly as he could. Jack helped him up and Hiccup winced as his stiff muscles protested. His butt had gone numb from sitting too long and his legs screamed soreness. Jack led the way and they disappeared into the woods.


	10. Twisted Rescues Part 1

As soon as they got far enough away from the campsite, the winter spirit and the viking prince broke into a run. They wound their way around bushes and leapt fallen trees, Jack's feet weren't even touching the ground after a while.

The sky was getting steadily lighter and slight rays of sun were beginning to peer through the trees when the boys stopped to rest.

"What happened back there?" Hiccup asked, gasping for breath.

"After you fell asleep, the guy with the eye patch switched with the other one. Scar guy kind of poked you a little bit to make sure you were asleep, then yawn and went to sleep himself. I took the opportunity to untie you and here we are." Jack was hardly breathing hard.

Hiccup breathed for a second thinking. "They're going to wake up soon and come after us… me."

"Then we need to get as far away as possible. We can get to the castle before they catch up, right?"

"I don't even know where we are in relation to Corona, much less how to get back there." He stopped, "Oh wait, you can fly up and find out. Okay, you do that. And while you're flying try to see where those guys are."

Jack nodded and called the winds to him. Up in the sky, he saw the sun rising behind the castle of Corona; its light illuminating the lake and clouds in a myriad of colors. They were off course to the bridge to the city. Not by too much, though it was still a good distance away. Jack went back the way they came to the Stabbington's campsite and found it abandoned, the fire still steamed from being put out. It seemed like they were awake now, and had discovered Hiccup's escape. And were hot on the trail; Jack could see them making their way fast in the same direction he and Hiccup had gone.

"The way to the bridge is that way, we're not too far off course but there's more forest than lake this way." He said when he found his friend again. Hiccup had continued on the way they had been going. "The thugs are right behind us though. They didn't waste any time in coming after you."

"How far away is the bridge?" Hiccup asked, altering his directions without slowing his pace.

"It's still pretty far away. There's a huge ravine up ahea-" There was a break in the trees and suddenly they were standing at the top of a cliff where a fast moving river rushed by far below. Bits and pieces of wood floated by and the remains of structures hugged the sides. It looked like there used to be a dam though here.

"It must have been a dam before." Hiccup considered the situation. "I really wish Toothless was here right now." He looked down at the rushing water beneath and took a deep breath.

"He would be a big help right now." Jack admitted. "Then we could just fly away."

"Is there a bridge somewhere?"

A crashing sound suddenly came from behind them and the brothers came running out of the forest. They smiled when they saw Hiccup with nowhere to go and spread out to better intercept him if he ran.

Okay, so you can try going either direction, though that way looks like there may still wood you can use to cross." Jack looked at their options. "Though they're probably going to catch you if you- Hiccup?"

The viking had jumped into the river.

He entered the water with a small splash and disappeared into the current as the Stabbington brothers rushed to the edge and scanned the water for any sign of him. None of them saw anything.

"Almost had him!" Scar Face cursed.

"Now what?" The eye patched one asked, throwing his hands up into the air. "There goes the ransom, we lost the crown, and the girl, and that woman disappeared off to who knows where. Everything is a mess."

"No. We can fix this." The one with scars said after a second. "We can still get the ransom if we play this right. They don't have to know we don't have the boy anymore. We can get the money and run."

"But what about the prince?"

You follow the river, see if you can find him. I'll go and let his family know we have their little prince. Meet me in the clearing south of the Snuggly Duckling at noon." They nodded to each other in agreement and ran off in different directions.

"This is so messed up." Jack said to himself. He had to find Hiccup before Eye Patch got to him, and they had to get back to the castle before Stoick and the other vikings can meet for the ransom, plus there was Flynn being imprisoned and how he had meant to help him out, and of course there was Rapunzel being held prisoner by a woman who was pretending to care about her but was really only using her.

Better start now.

Merida woke to sunshine in her eyes and clean sheets against her cheek. She smiled softly and yawned. Sitting up she recognized the guest room she had been given for her stay in at the castle.

It was almost mid-morning, judging by the light. Why was she only waking up now?

Her family must have gone to breakfast by now, she thought. Did they go down without waking her? Maybe there'll be some food left. She threw back the covers and noticed that her foot was resting on top of a couple pillows, wrapped in a bandage.

There pale bruises and scratches on her arms and now that she was thinking about it, her ankle really hurt. Suddenly, she remembered everything that had happened last night. The town, the lanterns, Jack, Hiccup, the dance, the attempted rescue, hurting her ankle running through the forest, Hiccup being captured saving her; everything came flooding back.

She sat there staring into space, remembering, as a pit of fear began to develop in her stomach. Hiccup. Rapunzel. They were in trouble. Where was Jack?

"He promised to keep me updated." She grumbled, sliding off her bed. She gasped as she put weight on her ankle. "Ah, that hurts. Why did I hurt it so bad."

"Merida!" The queen exclaimed, coming in with a tray. "Get back into bed this instant. Yae shouldnae be on that ankle."

"Mum. I have to-"

"Bed. Now." She ordered.

Merida sighed and got back into bed. There was no arguing with her mother. "But-"

The queen busied herself with tucking the princess back into bed. "There. Now isn't that better. You will need tae keep off of tha' ankle until it's healed, the nurse said." She went to open the curtains all the way and open the window. "Let's get some fresh air, shall we? The castle has been a madhouse all morning. Apparently, one of the princes didn't return to the castle last night. King Thomas and Queen Primrose 'ave soldiers all over searching for him." She sat on the bed. "His poor father has been pacing the throne room all day."

Merida knew it was Hiccup she was talking about. She felt a pang of guilt as she thought about her father doing the same if she had been captured instead. "Mum, I have tae tell yeh something. About what happened last night."

"The nephew of King Stoic said that he saw you and Prince Hiccup together yesterday." Her mother looked at her, waiting for the explanation.

Merida told her about how she met Hiccup, the night before, and that they had gone around the town together and about meeting Flynn and Rapunzel at then dance, then how they rented a boat to see the lanterns and afterward had went into the forest. She was careful to make it seem like she and Hiccup were with Flynn and Rapunzel instead of having to explain about why she was alone with a boy in a romantic setting or about Jack. She'd tried before to tell about the winter spirit but her parents had chocked it down to an imaginary friend. It didn't seem appropriate to bring him up here.

"Flynn had gone off to do something when we heard a thump." She was making this up now based on what happened. Why did Jack have to make things so complicated? "Hiccup went after him tae see what happened while me and Rapunzel waited, and then out of nowhere her mother and takes her away. And these two huge men come from where Hiccup and Flynn went and they start chasing me. Ay ran away, which is where I got all these cuts, and I hurt my ankle when I fell. Then Flynn comes back just as those guys are about to catch me and he helps me back to the boat and we get away, but by then it was tae late for Hiccup and Rapunzel." She felt bad about lying to her mom, but the main point was there. Hiccup and Rapunzel were in trouble. "The last Ay saw of Hiccup was of those brutes tying Hiccup up and carrying him away."

Queen Elinor sat there with her lips pursed as her daughter told her story. She didn't interrupt, just listened; a skill she had worked on over the summer. When Merida was done, she stood stiffly and turned to the window. "This is a lot to take in, Merida." She said, thinking about what needed to happen with this news. She needed to share it with the king and queen of Corona and with the chieftain of Berk so that they knew the full story and could react accordingly. "Why did you say it was too late for… Rapunzel? Isn't she with her mother?"

"Her mum was using her. She arranged that whole thing so that Rapunzel would go back with her and it worked."

Elinor frowned. "Ay'll go and take care of this." She said finally. "The king and queen should know what you've told me. You stay here and rest." She swept out the door and down the hall.

Queen Elinor found the resident monarchs in the throne room, along with a few others of the visiting royal guests. The viking leader was also there, his voice easily heard across the room. At the moment he was interrogating a younger viking. Both seemed frustrated.

"I told you. I saw Hiccup with this red-headed chick down by the square. He said they were going down to watch the lights from the docks. That's all I know." The younger viking said.

"And you don't know anything else as to where he might be?" Stoick the Vast rumbled.

"No. I only saw him that once after breakfast. I've told you all I know."

"My daughter is awake." Queen Elinor said as she came up behind them. The vikings, the King and Queen, and the others gathered in the room turned to look at her. "Princess Merida, was with your son last night along with two others, according to what she told me. She came back tae the castle late last night alone and with a twisted ankle. She told mae that there was an incident in the forest the resulted in Hiccup being kidnapped by some men, and only she only escaped herself with the help of a man named Flynn who helped her get back safely."

"What was my son doin' in the forest?" Stoick exclaimed loudly.

"Maybe he was trying to show off to the pincess." Snotlout suggested from behind Stoick.

"Oh, yea know Hiccup wouldn't do anything like tha'." A third viking said from the background. He had blonde hair and a wooden leg, similar to that of King Fergus'. "He'd more like go inta the forest if 'e heard there was a dr- a strange beast there."

Stoick gave him a sharp look. "You know there are none of those here."

"But there could be."

"Gobber." Stoick warned. The other viking stopped talking.

The Coronan king was about to ask what he had meant by strange beast when a guard came hurrying in. He whispered something in the king's ear and handed him a wanted poster. King Thomas nodded and the guard hurried out. "It seems like a prisoner escaped with the help of a palace horse and some local ruffians." He seemed a little baffled. "Flynn Rider. Could this be the man your daughter was with last night?" He held out the flyer.

Elinor took it and looked it over. "I hope not, but I will show it to my daughter."

She turned and was about to leave when a second guard came in. This one was pale and out of breath and he held a letter and another flyer in his hand. He gave them to the king.

After a second of reading it, the king's face became pale and he turned to the watching nobility. "It would appear I found your son." He handed the letter to Stoick, who read it through. When he was done he threw it to Gobber angrily and started pacing.

"They think to hold my son ransom? For ten thousand gold pieces?" He fumed. "Do they not know who we are? We are vikings, we d'nae pay ransoms." Gobber finished reading the letter and passed it on to Queen Elinor and King Fergus, who had come to stand next to his wife.

"We need a plan of action." King Thomas said. "The letter says we have until noon to come up with the money. Now I will gladly pay, as this heinous crime has been committed on my land."

"We are not going to pay any ransom." Stoick said firmly. "I'm going to get my son back; the viking way."

A minute after her mother left, Merida was back out of bed, tenderly putting weight on her ankle as she got dressed. She grabbed her bow and quiver, which she had hidden at the back of the wardrobe and slung both onto her back. She snagged a few bites of the food Elinor had brought and put the rest into a small bag. After a second thought, she paused to better wrap her ankle. If she wrapped it right then it should be tight enough to walk on without too much pain. Of course walking around could make it worse, but she'll be careful enough. She would rest plenty later; there was adventure to be had, and there was no way she was going to wait around while her friends were out there in trouble.

Sneaking around the castle proved easier than she expected. After she left her room, she passed castle workers who gave her odd looks for the weapons on her back, but said nothing. They just passed by and went on with their work, it was none of their business what the visitors did, though there would be gossip later. Merida was just grateful that no one stopped her.

It was hard going with her ankle so tender and soon she had to rest against a window seat in one of the hallways. She could see the courtyard from there and noticed a bustle of soldiers running along the battlements and through the courtyard. Something was going on down there.

After a minute she continued on, she needed to hurry before someone recognized her and sent her back. She just needed to get outside, borrow one of the palace horses and ride into the forest to look for Hiccup. She wouldn't have to walk much after that.

Her thoughts drifted to the young man she had only recently got to know. His capture bothered her so much. She knew she had only just met him, but walking with him all day yesterday, made him feel like a friend. He was funny and smart. And kind of handsome too, she thought, especially when she compared him to the Scottish chieftains' sons she had met earlier that summer. And then there was the fact that he sacrificed himself to let her get away with her hurt ankle. It was all her fault that those thugs grabbed him. She owed him to help.

Merida slid down some stairs to the first floor. The main doors weren't far from the end of the stairwell and she started for them. Almost there.

Suddenly a crash and a shout came from one of the side corridors. A second later her three brothers came running past, a soldier covered in something wet chased after. They stopped and stared at her for a second disapprovingly before hurrying away from the angry guard. Harris glanced back and made and _I'm watching you_ sign before he disappeared around another corner. Merida rolled her eyes. One of them were likely to tell on her the second they found a parent. She'll only have a little head start if she was lucky.

A few minutes later she was in the stables. Ducking behind a stall, she waited as a couple of stable hands led horses out. It looked like some of the castle guards had ordered some of the horses to be readied and brought out so most of the stable hands were preoccupied.

Luckily for her. It was easy enough to find a good looking horse already saddled and ready to sneak her away. Secretly, she was a little glad for whatever the commotion on the grounds was. It was really helping her get away.

Hurriedly, she mounted and urged the horse out the gates and through the town. Riding a horse with a sprained ankle was a whole lot easier than walking, she found. It took a lot of pressure off of the injury and was faster. Soon, she was passing the main square and crossing the bridge toward the forest. Where from there? She didn't know. She just kept riding.

It took all night to get back to the tower. Rapunzel and her mother reached the valley early in the morning and climbed up using the tunnel Gothel had uncovered before. Rapunzel had been silent through the whole walk home and Mother Gothel let her have her space. Back in her room, Gothel got to work undoing her daughter's braid and taking all the flowers out. It took all morning and when she was done she went to go make some Hazelnut soup, hoping that it would cheer Rapunzel up some.

Rapunzel kept replaying the last couple days in her head. All the fun she had, the new things she learned, Eugene. It just didn't make sense. Why did he leave her for the crown? She thought he had feelings for her. That he liked her. But he was playing her to get his precious satchel back. She sighed and looked at the piece of cloth bunched up in her hands. It was from the castle town and had the gold sun of the kingdom on it. Why couldn't she get that place out of her head?

She lay down on her bed and looked up at her painted ceiling. A cluster of figures up there caught her attention. It looked familiar. She held up the purple cloth, then looked at the picture again. It was the same shape as the sun. But how could it? She had only seen the symbol yesterday. She looked at her ceiling closer. There. Another sun among some birds she had painted. And there, another. Suddenly she was seeing tons of suns in her room. But why?

She stood in the center of her room looking up at all the paintings she had done and the subliminal symbols she had painted there without realizing it. Suddenly a memory flashed before her eyes. A spinning golden sun before her and she turned and saw a man and a woman standing beside her. They looked familiar. Then she remembered. The mosaic from the castle square of the king and queen and lost princess. The golden haired, green eyed lost princess who shared a birthday with her. She remembered that crown she found in Eugene's satchel and saw herself in the mirror putting it on herself and the feeling she had when she did.

Suddenly it hit her. She was the lost princess. That was why Mother kept her away in the tower. That was why the things she'd seen didn't match up with the things she was always told; like men having sharp teeth, ruffians and thugs, and people wanting to use her hair. The world wasn't like that, ruffians had dreams, teeth weren't sharp, and there was love. She fell back against the vanity as the power of everything she had just realized hit her.

"Rapunzel?" Her mother called from the other room. "Rapunzel, what's going on up there?" Rapunzel got up and walked to the doorway, still dazed. "All you alright?" Gothel asked.

"I'm the lost princess." Rapunzel whispered, trying out the words. She was the lost princess, she had been stolen from her parents when she was a baby and taken and kept here for eighteen years.

"Ugh, please speak up, Rapunzel. You know how I hate the mumbling." Gothel said from the stairs.

"I am the lost princess." Rapunzel said louder. Clearer. She stood up straighter and looked her 'mother' in the eye. "Aren't I?" She saw the look of shock on Gothel's face and knew the truth. "Did I mumble, mother? Or should I even call you that?"

Gothel managed to recover. "Oh, Rapunzel," she scoffed. "Do you even hear yourself? Why would you ask such a ridiculous question?" She came up the stairs to try and calm down the younger girl. It was an obvious cover up.

"It was you." Rapunzel accused, pushing her away. "That boy was right; it was all you."

"Everything I did was to protect you." Gothel said, her face hard. Rapunzel pushed past her and went down the stairs. "Rapunzel!"

"I have spent my entire life hiding from people who would use me for my power-"

"Rapunzel!"

"When I should have been hiding from you."

"Where will you go?" Gothel asked coldly. "He won't be there for you."

Rapunzel stopped, her face growing white. "What did you do to him?"

"That criminal is to be hanged for his crimes."

"No!" She gasped.

"Now, now. It's alright. Listen to me." Gothel crooned comfortingly. "All of this is as it should be." She reached up to pat Rapunzel on the head.

"No." The girl cried and grabbed her former mothers arm. "You were wrong about the world, and you were wrong about me. And I will never let you use my hair, again."

Gothel broke Rapunzel's grip on her arm and backed up. He hit the mirror, causing it fall and shatter. Rapunzel turned away. She'll find her way back to the town, she'll save him. And maybe those other two, the red head and the guy with the weird leg, Hiccup, would help her. They tried before, she realized now. She just didn't listen.

Gothel watched her turn her back. Everything was falling apart, she realized. Rapunzel wasn't hers anymore. Now that she had realized the truth nothing will ever be the same. She had failed in her task and now she will have to face the others. And she'll lose the magic hair. She relied on that hair to keep her young. She couldn't let Rapunzel turn away from her like that. No. She wasn't going to let that girl go.

"You want me to be the bad guy?" She said quietly, straightening. "Fine. Now I'm the bad guy."


	11. Twisted Rescues Part 2

"Hiccup!" Jack Frost called as he sped over the rapids of the river. Where was his friend? He had already gone over this stretch of water twice looking for Hiccup's mousy brown hair to appear in the current or his body to wash upon any of the shores, but there was nothing. "Hiccup! Where are you?" Occasionally he would pass the Eye Patch guy doing to same thing, though he was much slower and a bit more methodical in his searching. At least he had be as unsuccessful as Jack so far.

Following the direction of the current, Jack traveled, still watching for any sign his friend had crawled up the banks to safety. Eventually the river changed to a stream and then a shallow brook. He was deep into the forest now; if Hiccup was anywhere near here, they probably wouldn't get back before the ransom the brothers were planning.

The spirit flew up for an aerial view of the area. Maybe he'll see something he missed up here. There was no activity along the river bank though, except for that of the thug.

Wait. There was someone moving through the forest over there.

Could it be? He flew down closer. Yes. He recognized that hair, that walk. It was Hiccup.

"Hiccup!" He was so excited he flew into the viking, knocking him down as he hugged him. "I'm so glad you're okay. I've been searching the river for you for an hour now."

"Ow." His friend said, his face squished into the dirt by the fall.

Jack called the winds to lift him off of his friend and he help him up. "Sorry. Are you okay? What happened after you jumped? Why did you jump? Do you know how worried I was about you?"

"It seemed like the best option as the time. I couldn't go right or left and I needed to cross the river somehow. How far away from the castle are we now?" Hiccup brushed the dirt from his clothes. Mud and leaves still clung to his wet clothes. He hadn't been out of the water long enough to dry. "Sorry for scaring you."

"At least you're here now." Jack tried to remember what else he saw when he was flying. "We're pretty far away from the castle right now. It'll take us a while to get back, and the Stabbingtons are still planning to use you to get money, though it's more of a con now than an actual ransom.

Hiccup laughed. "They're not going to get any money from my family anyway. You remember how vikings deal with these kind of things."

Oh yeah, Jack definitely remembered the last time someone got off on the wrong foot with Stoic the vast. They started walking the direction of the castle while reminiscing about previous adventures they'd been on together.

They'd reached a well-worn track and started walking along it when the sound of hoof beats filled the air.

A second later a white horse came galloping toward them carrying none other than Flynn Rider, the man Jack had seen hours earlier taken up by the guards. It looked like somehow, Maximus had found a way to help him escape.

"Isn't that-?" Hiccup started.

"Yep." Jack responded, his jaw slightly open in surprise.

"Spirit boy?" Flynn Rider pulled up beside them. Maximus whinnied a greeting and nuzzled Jack's shoulder. "What are you doing out here?"

"Uh, this and that. Running through the forest, rescuing friends."

"Diving into rivers, running from captors." Hiccup added. "The usual."

"How did you get out of prison?" Jack asked. "Did Maximus find a way to free you?"

Flynn raised an eyebrow. "Actually, yeah. I was on my way to the gallows when some friends appeared and suddenly I was on this horses back racing through the town. Did you send Max to help?"

Jack nodded. "I couldn't think of anything else I could do at the time. I was going to come back and help later, though, I swear."

"Well thank you. That was my most spectacular escape yet. I owe you."

"Where are you headed to?" Hiccup asked. He'd noticed that they were heading further into the forest.

Flynn looked toward the thick trees with longing. "I've got to save Rapunzel. Someone needs to get her away from that tower and her mother."

Jack felt a jolt in his stomach at that. Dred started creeping into his heart and he felt like something bad was going to happen to Flynn. Where did those feelings come from? He looked at Hiccup; his friend looked worn out, wet, and ragged. After everything that's happened since yesterday, he needed to get back to the castle to rest. Yet something was pulling him to go with Flynn to make sure he and Rapunzel made it out of the tower safe.

Hiccup looked at his friend and guessed his thoughts. He knew Jack well enough to know he'd do anything that'd help the few people who could see him, and then some. "What do you think, Jack? We could squeeze an extra adventure in today."

The winter spirit felt a surge of relief, Hiccup wanted to go too. "I don't know, Hic, we're pretty booked already. You okay with some company, Flynn?"

"The more the merrier." He reached out a hand to help Hiccup up.

"A pub? In th' middle of the forest?" Merida asked. She had taken to talking out loud, like she did with Angus back home. The mare didn't react to her words as much her own horse did, but it helped her little to vocalize her thoughts. She had followed the road in hopes that it would take her close to where Hiccup might be. Or maybe Jack would be nearby and she could give him a piece of her mind for leaving her out of the loop. Eventually she had realized that she had no idea where to even start looking. "Maybe someone in there could help?"

The horse twitched her ears.

"Ay mean, it can't hurt, can it?" Merida dismounted and tied the reins to a nearby tree, then went inside, slightly limping. By the side she noticed a few wanted posters, one of which was a picture of a man who looked like Flynn, but with a piggish sort of nose. The other one was of the two thugs who had taken Hiccup. She grabbed that one, hopefully it'd help her. The Stabbington Brothers, 10,000 pieces reward. And they had her best friends friend.

The second the door to the pup was opened, a rush of putrid scent engulfed her. She gagged, then choked when she saw the occupants. They were all mean looking and unwashed, some were helmet wearing, others wielded knives, and some of them had missing limbs replaced with various metal or wood attachments.

All of them were looking at her, hands holding cups in the air like they were in the middle of a toast.

Merida stood there, unsure of what to do for a moment. Finally, she cleared her throat.

"Ay- Ay was wondering if any of you could tell meugh where I could find these two men." She held up the poster.

A smallish, very drunk, white haired man moseyed up to her. "Wha'd you want with them, eh missy?" He almost toppled with the effort of walking. Merida shyed away from him.

Suddenly he was grabbed from behind and tossed into the crowd of thugs. Another of the men stepped up to her. He pointed at the posters. "Them's the Stabbington Brothers. A nasty pair. What would a lass like you want with them." He looked intently at her and she almost gagged at the stench of his breath and body odor.

She coughed. "They have my friend. Ay have to help 'im, and to do that Ay need to know where they are." She felt her ankle twinge painfully.

The thug in front of her, a man with a bald head and hook hand, turned around to look at the others. They shrugged and shook their heads.

"Haven't seen them since yesterday." One said through a tin helmet.

"The castle guards had them didn't they?" Another asked.

"No, no they escaped to chase after Rider." A man with a big nose answered.

Hook hand turned back to Merida, who was watching with wide eyes. These ruthless looking people were acting almost normal and friendly. They were carrying on a conversation and answering her questions civilly, which was way better than the way her father and the other chiefs acted around each other. It contrasted oddly with their appearance.

"No one seems to have seen them recently, sorry lass. Can't help you." He said apologetically.

"What? But, wha' about a secret hideout or a campsite? Don't any of yeugh know where Ay could find them?" She asked. What if they couldn't tell her anything? She still had no idea where to go. She really should have thought this through better.

"Sorry. I would advise you to forget about your friend and avoid those men anyhow. Bad news they are."

She groaned angrily. "Thanks anyway." She said then went out the door, her limp more pronounced.

As the door closed behind her, she heard Hook hand's voice, "Now where were we?" followed by a second voice, "To Flynn Rider and Rapunzel."

"To Dreams." The pub cheered.

Merida scowled. "Worthless, unhelpful lot. How could they not know where one of their own is?" She grumbled all the way to the horse. And what was that cheer all about anyway. She tripped over a rock. Stupid ankle. It hurt so much! Didn't they know that Rapunzel was taken back to her home by her scheming mother?

What was the point of all this, she wondered. She was injured, it was almost midday, and she had no idea where to go. She turned the horse. She would just try going this way and if she found nothing, she would head back, she decided.

"Are you sure we're going the right way" Jack asked. He swore that they had just gone in a circle. He glanced at the sky; it wasn't quite noon yet.

"I'm sure this is the right way this time." Flynn assured. "See those arrows in that log? I dodged them when I was running from the castle guards." Maximus started going faster. It seemed like they did recognize this way. Jack followed until the horse and rider came to a sudden stop, then he found himself flying over a cliff.

"Whoa." He said, backtracking through the air to land on the edge of the very steep cliff. He looked down and watched a couple of dislodged pebbles fall. It was a long way down.

Flynn paced the edge of the cliff a little. "Aha, here is the place where Maximus and I fell to our doom while fighting over a satchel holding a crown." He looked at Jack's face and laughed. "We're fine, as you can see. It wasn't that bad of a fall."

Hiccup peered down, too. "So what now?" He asked. "Do we jump?"

Flynn and Maximus shook their heads no at the same time. "There must be another way down I think." Flynn said. "Let's try this way."

It turned out there was an easier way to take to the bottom. There was a path that sloped down from the cliff to a lower part of the forest.

"I hope we can find our way from here." Flynn muttered. He was starting to get fidgety. Rapunzel was in trouble, he knew. He just felt it. "Come on Maximus." He urged the horse, which sped up down the grassy slope. Hiccup had to hold on to keep from falling off.

Jack followed, the uneasy feeling in his stomach growing as they got closer to the tower. He needed to make sure that Flynn and Rapunzel ended up okay, though what could happen to them, he didn't know.

"Yeugh'd better tell me where he is right now." Merida drew back her bow and aimed. One of the Stabbington Brothers was standing in front of her, hands in the air as he eyed the arrow pointed at him. She had passed him on the trail and instantly recognized him as one of the men from last night.

"I told you, he escaped early this morning. Now put down the bow like a good girl before you hurt someone." He put his hands down and stepped forward. A second later there was an arrow quivering in the ground a centimeter from the man's foot.

"Dinnae mess wi' me." Merida warned, drawing another arrow. "Now, where is my friend?" She was tempted to put an arrow through his foot or somewhere and leave him for the guards to pick up. There'd be a reward and it would be payback for last night, but she wanted to find Hiccup and Jack and make sure her new friend was okay.

"You're crazy. I don't know where he is. My brother has been searching for the river for him all day. He could have found him or not by now; I don't know."

"River? Which direction?" Finally somewhere to start looking.

The thug pointed.

Now Merida had a choice, to either go find the river and search from there or deal with this wanted criminal now. She didn't have any rope to tie him up though, so she'd have to actually shoot him if she wanted to disable him. The thought of hurting a human being made her feel a little queasy. She lowered her bow and kicked her horse into movement leaving the Stabbington brother standing there in slight shock.

He bent down a pulled the arrow from the ground in front of his feet. It was in deep, almost halfway buried. A little further and his foot would have been run through and trapped. "The Princess' got aim." He murmured.

His twin brother entered the clearing a second later. "Searched the whole river. Never caught a sight of him."

"Looks like we're conning the king of the Barbaric Archipelagos today."

"Frost!" Merida cried. She finally found traces of her friend in the forest. There was a faint set of white footprints in the shady grass next to the track. They were just starting to melt, so it must not have been so long ago. A second set of footprints were imprinted in the grass next to them and horse hooves led away from there into the forest. They were going the same way that Scar face said was the river. Jack must have helped Hiccup and they met up with someone and were heading into the forest. Why?

_Think, Merida. Why would Jack and Hiccup go tha' way instead of back to the castle? _What was deeper in the forest? Wait, didn't Flynn say that Rapunzel lived in a tower? That wouldn't be on the castle island if her mother wanted to keep her isolated. Could that be where they're heading?

She urged the horse faster. Whatever they're doing, maybe she could catch up with them soon!

Eventually Merida heard voices, and a horse whinny. It sounded like they were just up ahead. She had followed the trail past a stream and down a hill until she came to the edge of a cliff. From here the tracks hugged the wall.

"What do you mean you can't remember which way?" Came one voice.

"I mean, all I remember was falling off a cliff then finding a secret opening covered by ivy. It should be around here somewhere." Said a second voice. They weren't far away now.

"What about over there?" Said a third.

Merida slowed the horse, she recognized those voices. Jack, Hiccup, and Flynn. Finally, she had caught up to them.

She came around a large bush and saw them. Flynn was standing facing a cliff covered with ivy, scratching his head. Jack had his arms folded and was standing on the ground, tapping his foot impatiently, while Hiccup was moving the vines around and looking underneath them. A rush of relief flooded through Merida in seeing the viking safe and apparently unhurt. All that worry for nothing though.

Maximus suddenly looked up, as if he sensed Merida's presence, and gave a greeting nicker. The mare she was riding neighed in return.

All three guys looked up and noticed her at the edge of the clearing.

"Merida? What are you doing here?" Jack asked. She could see a worried crease in his expression. "You should be in bed resting." His tone turned from surprised to scolding. A breeze started to blow.

"Ay was looking for Hiccup to help him. It was my fault that he was kidnapped yeugh know. But it looks like tha's been all taken care of withou' me." Merida answered. She gave him a point look. "Thanks for telling me what was going on."

Jack face palmed. "Sorry, I got a little preoccupied. Last time I saw you though, you were exhausted and needed to sleep."

"That's no excuse." Merida answered. "Yeugh promised, Jack." She was so tired with this day.

"I was going to come back; I just got caught up with a few other things." Jack answered.

"Don't be mad at him." Hiccup added. "He was helping me. Without him I'd probably be getting ransomed right now."

"Well, it would've been nice if Ay knew what was going on." Her voice was rising. "Ay've bin wandering this blasted forest all morning looking for those Stabbington's to help Hiccup get away because it was might fault you got taken. And, I've had no idea what's been going on anywhere all day." She started pacing the horse as she ranted, letting out all her pent up frustration of the day. "And then I actually find them to learn that yeugh already escaped. Ay'm tired, and achy, and frustrated, and- and hungry, and those people at the pup were strange and unhelpful." She finished, finding nothing more to complain about. She had only just realized that she was kind of hungry.

"It's not my fault that you went wandering about when you've been ordered to stay in bed." Jack argued.

"Yeugh should have come told me."

"You were sleeping."

"Whoa whoa. You ran into the Stabbington Brothers while searching for me?" Hiccup asked.

"I had my bow on him. He wasn't goin' tae get near me."  
"I hate to interrupt, but I really do need to find Rapunzel." Flynn cut in. "She's in danger if she stays with that woman any longer, so I'll just be going unless all three of you would like to come with me."

Flynn Rider had been watching the teenagers exchange with a mixture of amusement and impatience, and finally he felt that it had gone on long enough. He was worried about Rapunzel.

Hiccup, Jack, and Merida all stopped and looked at the third person, remembering that he was still there.

"Sorry." Jack apologized. "We should get going." He looked at Merida. "And you should head back to the castle. I promise that I will come back and tell you everything that happens."

Merida snorted. "Yeah, right. Ay'm coming with you. I haven't been riding about all day for nothing."

Jack looked at the determined set in his friend's face and knew there was no arguing with her, he looked to Flynn for help. The other man just shrugged.

"Let her come," He said. "Just let's go already." He mounted Maximus and helped Hiccup up behind and started along the cliff wall, looking for anything that would indicate the hidden tunnel he had found. The other two followed.

A few minutes later, Flynn spotted the rock he had hid behind while Maximus was looking for him. He peeled back the curtain of ivy on the cliff wall to reveal an opening in the mountain. Seconds later they were racing through the tunnel to the valley of Rapunzel's tower. Clouds were covering the sun here and the shadows made the valley dark.

Flynn, desperate now to see if Rapunzel was safe practically fell off the horse when they got there and called up the top.

"Rapunzel? Rapunzel, let down your hair." He called up. There was no sign of any movement. Worried he started to climb the tower by hand.

Suddenly, from above, they all heard a creak as a shutter was opened, and a second later a flood of hair was thrown from the widow to the ground. Flynn looked to the others, then began to climb the hair.

**If you guys want to know what would have happened if Hiccup hadn't been able to escape from the Stabbington Brothers, you should check out this story on my friends account. This version is taking a slightly different turn, though the major points are still staying the same. **

**Hope you guys are enjoying this and I would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for your support.**


	12. Tower Confrontations

Jack watched Flynn climb with a sick feeling in his stomach. He couldn't explain it, but he knew that something bad will happen up in that tower. "I'm going up there." He said briefly to others before calling to the wind to lift him up.

Hiccup frowned as he watched him go. Jack had been acting oddly about this whole thing. Something was wrong.

Merida urged her horse around the tower base, looking for an opening. She wasn't going to miss whatever was going to happen up there. There must have been another way up, she figured. Aha, there, an opening, with fallen stones surrounding the area. It must have been closed up until recently, she guessed. Rapunzel and her mother must have used that to get to the top.

"Hey, Hiccup. I found th' way up."

Jack reached the top of the towers and peered into the open window. It was dark inside; the overcast sky didn't help. A shaft of light came in from an opening in the ceiling and shone on a girl across the room. Rapunzel. She was watching the window with wide, fearful eyes, a cloth around her mouth and her hands tied to a beam behind her.

A creak to the side alerted him to the woman standing by the window with a knife held ready. She was the danger Jack sensed. That woman was going to stab Flynn when he came in and kill him! He won't allow that to happen. Not after everything that had happened, not today. He had to stop her, but what could he do? He looked out the window, Flynn was already a third of the way up.

Wait, he could warn Flynn. Flynn could stop her if he knew what was going to happen, right? He could be ready for any surprise attack that came his way. Rapunzel's mother was relying on surprise and her daughter to distract him so that she could be done with him. What was she up to, anyway?

"Flynn," He called, jumping out the window and coming up level with him.

"Did you see Rapunzel?" Flynn asked through grunts of exertion. "Is she okay?"

"She's okay, sort of. Her mother has her tied up and gagged, and she's planning to kill you." He cut off Flynn's next questions before he could say them. "She's standing next to the window ready to stab you in the back the second you get up there."

Flynn looked shocked as he hung there on the rope of golden hair. "She's going to kill me?" He asked quietly as it sunk in. His death could be up there. Was it worth it? He shook his head, of course it was. He broke out of prison for Rapunzel, gave up the crown for her. He wanted to be with her for the rest of his life, even if that means he died before he could tell her what he felt. She was his new dream, he realized.

He looked at Jack. "I still have to go up there. I have to save her if I can."

Jack nodded. He expected that much. "I'll warn you when she attacks." He promised and flew down to Hiccup and Merida. He explained to them what he saw.

Hiccup looked up at the former thief still climbing the golden hair. "Merida found some stairs around the base." He said, thinking. "If we hurry, we can get up there in time to help Flynn and stop Rapunzel's mother. Do you think you can manage the stairs Merida?"

"Ay'll be fine." She answered, settting her jaw. "It may just take me a little longer." She amended after a second.

"Then I'll go on ahead. Jack, you be prepared to warn Flynn when she attacks. Merida, have your bow ready when you get up there. I'll need a weapon too…" Hiccup rummaged in Maximus' saddle bag and pulled out a frying pan. There wasn't a sword or anything else. He raised an eyebrow. "I guess this could work, the force times the surface area of the pan would add extra power against an attack and the iron could double as a shield. If I can get behind her I-"

"Let's just go." Merida said.

"Meet you up there." Jack said.

A few minutes later, Flynn reached the top and climbed over the sill. "Rapunzel?" He asked through heavy breaths. He saw her there across the floor, trying to warn him through her gag.

"Now!" Jack shouted from somewhere in the tower room and instinctively Flynn turned. His hand hit Gothel in the cheek, startling her. She hadn't expected him to turn.

She stood there with her hand on her cheek where she was hit and stared at him with malice. Flynn backed away and held his arms up in defense.

"This is all your fault you know." She said. "If you hadn't come here in the first place none of this would have ever happened. Rapunzel and I would still be living our happy little lives free from the outside world. But no, now I have to take her away where no one will ever find her again. And you can't be allowed to follow us." She lifted her knife and stepped toward him.

Flynn felt around for any weapons on his person, but the guards had taken them from him when they locked him up. He was defenseless. He backed away from her. "Now, I'm sure we could come to some sort of agreement." He said, desperately trying to figure a way out of this. "Isn't there something that I could do or… no? Well I suppose that's understandable." He hit a counter and she was still coming, knife poised to stab. He reached behind him for something, anything to use against her. "You won't get away with this, you know. Things won't return to normal in your perfect little world. Not now that she's seen the world." He felt a cold breeze and his hand touched a metal handle. He swung whatever it was at her as her knife fell, anger and hatred giving her strength.

It was a spatula. The knife got caught on it and he wrenched it out her hand. "That works, I guess." He said. "Hah." He held it at the ready.

Gothel scrambled to retrieve her knife and picked it up again. "You want to play hardball, do you?" A warm wind blew around the tower and it got even darker. Now Flynn could only see vague outlines, and it looked like the shadows were moving. He gripped the spatula tighter. "Then let's play hardball." He voice came from a different part of the room.

Something shadowy moved in the corner of his eye and he swung at it, hitting nothing. He couldn't see where she was. Suddenly the shutters closed and he was wrapped in pure darkness. Cool wind and warm wind swirled around him in eddies and he heard that woman's laughter echoing through the room.

Jack found his way to the window and opened the shutters again, which let in a little light. It had started raining outside, heavy drops falling on the roof. He turned to see Gothel coming at Flynn from behind. He shouted another warning, but Flynn only managed to turn slightly before he was stabbed, the knife plunging into his side.

"Emhgnene!" Rapunzel cried through the gag, she strained against the chains holding her.

"Flynn!" Jack was standing by the window as the man he tried to protect went down, his heart lunged in fear and anger. The cold winds around him picked up, swirling through the room.

Gothel stood calmly over Flynn amid the chaos in the tower, her bloody knife still in her hand, the victim on the floor holding his side in pain. "And now to finish this." She said. She knelt down and raised her knife again.

"Make one more moove and Ay'll put an arrow through yeah." A voice cut through the storm. Everyone stopped and looked at the newcomer, the winds calmed down a little.

Merida was standing by a trapdoor, bow drawn back and arrow aimed straight at Mother Gothel. "Naow step away from him or Ay'll shoot." She said.

Gothel raised her hands and slowly stood up. "You." There was a strange look in her eyes, Jack noticed. "It can't be." She looked to Rapunzel, then Flynn, and then back at Merida.

Hiccup had been creeping up behind her and now swung the frying pan. Rapunzel's mother went down.

Merida lowered her bow. "What was that about?" She said, her eyes still on the older woman.

"Jack, go check on Flynn." Hiccup said pulling Gothel over to the side. "Merida, untie Rapuznel and bring me the chain."

Jack went over to Flynn, who was still on the floor and concious. His wound was bad, going all the way through his body. He couldn't tell whether or not it was fatal or if the knife had hit anything important. He touched the wound and it frosted over.

_What did I just do?_ he wondered, looking at his hands. His frost never affected other people directly. Flynn hissed in pain and the cold, but it appeared to slow the bleeding a little. Jack had an idea and touched the other side of the wound which did frosted over too, completely sealing it from bleeding.

"How's that?" He asked, trying to sit Flynn up against the counter.

"Cold." Flynn replied. "But a little better."

"Eugene!" Rapunzel cried as her hands were freed. She rushed over to him as Jack helped him up. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, for now." He hissed. He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"I was so worried." She whispered back.

Merida was gathering up the chain and Hiccup went to help her.

"Hiccup, I just touched Flynn's wound and it frosted over." Jack said after he disentangled himself from the couple's embrace.

"Really?"

"I though' you couldn't touch other people with your powers." Merida said, handing the rest of the chain to Hiccup. "You've tried before, haven't you?"

"Yeah. I don't know how I did it, but I was able to stop Flynn's bleeding."

"That's great, Jack. We'll have to figure out how you did it later." Hiccup turned to head back to the unconscious woman.

"Jack who?" A voice cut through the room. While they were preoccupied, Gothel had woken up and was standing. "You said Jack." She said again, a strange tone in her voice. "Overland? Where is he?"

"Neugh. Yeh can't see 'im." Merida answered, cautiously. "And he came over air, not land."

"Not over land, you foolish girl. Jack Overland, is he here with you?"

Merida shook her head. "Ay don't know him." There was something disturbing in the woman's tone of voice. She reached for her bow, which she had slung onto her back to free Rapunzel.

"Wait, why does that sound familiar?" Jack asked. Something about that name felt familiar. Like something he once knew but forgotten long ago. "Jackson Overland…" A vision flashed before his eyes and he heard a voice saying that name sternly to a young boy with brown hair in reprimand. His heart gave a jolt. Could it be? Was that a memory of who he was before? How would she know anything about that?

"Jack, you okay?" Hiccup asked.

He looked at her with wide eyes. "I think… I think I may have been Jack Overland. Before… I became Jack Frost."

Merida brought her bow up an aimed at Gothel again, but not before she had flicked her hand and the knife went flying through the air. It passed through Jack and embedded itself in Hiccup's arm. The winter spirit gasped and clutched his chest as Hiccup fell to his knee holding his arm. Blood started blossoming on his shirt. Merida let loose an arrow but Gothel twisted out of the way. Now she was standing in front of the window. Flynn moved to apprehend her.

and Gothel got closer,

She was weaponless now and trapped. Threatened by Flynn approaching and Merida who was holding another arrow nocked, Mother Gothel took a step backward and her foot got caught in Rapunzel's hair, still hanging out the window. Caught off balance, she fell backwards and slipped out of the tower window. Merida, and Flynn rushed to the window after her, but couldn't see her body below. Gothel was just, gone. The others just stared out the window in shock.

Ahead, the sky was clearing up and the sunlight was starting to shine. The silence was stark after what had just happened and all five just stood there for a long moment in confusion.

"What just happened?" Flynn Rider finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Ay don't know." Merida answered thoughtfully.

"Did she just…?" Hiccup started.

"Mother…" Rapunzel looked out the window.

"How did she know who I was?" Jack wondered quietly.

Flynn gave a sharp intake of breath as the frost on his wound melted and stabs of pain cut through him. He sank to the floor clutching his wound. Rapunzel and Merida tried to support him but he was too heavy.

"Eugene. Oh Eugene." Rapunzel kneeled over him. He coughed and groaned. "I'm so sorry this happened to you. It's all my fault." She murmured over him.

"Shh. Rapunzel. It okay." He was shivering and weak.

"I'm going to fix all this. I'll make you better." She was bunching her hair onto his wound.

He looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry I left you." He whispered.

"You came back though." Rapunzel had tears in her eyes.

"I had to tell you something. That I had a new dream now." He reached up to brush her hair back from her face, his fingers caressing her cheek as they came back. "You."

Rapunzel took his hand in hers and held it there. "And you're mine." She smiled.

Merida stepped back to give the couple some space. She joined Jack by Hiccup who still clutched his arm. He hadn't pulled out the knife yet, that would cause more bleeding.

"You want to try that trick of yours again?" He asked the winter spirit through gritted teeth.

"I can try but it'll only be a temporary fix."

"Here, just in case it doesn't work." Merida ripped a strip of cloth from the hem of her dress.

Jack nodded and held his hand ready. Hiccup braced himself and pulled the knife out. Jack instantly touched the wound and it frosted over.

"Should I wrap it?" Merida asked.

"That might make it melt faster." Hiccup said.

Across the room, the two lovers were looking in each other's eyes. Flynn issued at hiss of pain and his hand reached up to clutch his wound, still covered in hair.

"Oh, sorry." Rapunzel exclaimed. "Don't worry, I can fix this." She rearranged her hair to cover the injury better, then with her hands coving his over the wound, she closed her eyes, and began to sing softly.

Flower, gleam and glow,

Let your power shine,

Make the clock reverse,

Bring back what once was mine.

Heal what has been hurt,

Change the fates design,

Save what has been lost,

Bring back what once was mine,

What once was mine.

As her voice echoed through the tower, her hair began to emit a light that traveled down the strands, twisting along a path that wound around the room, returned to the clump in Rapunzel's hands, then spread out to the end which was hanging out the window. Jack, Merida, and Hiccup all turned to watch with wide eyes as the magic occurred.

As Rapunzel fell silent, the golden glow went out and the room became shadowy and dark again. The other three sat in silent surprise. Flynn was breathing easier and as he lifted the mass of hair, and moved the cloth covering the wound, all could see the skin as unblemished and smooth.

"So it heals." Jack realized, thinking back on the night he first saw them in the forest. Was it really two days ago? She must have been healing a wound on Flynn's hand.

Merida glanced at Jack, still confused at what had just happened, then to Rapunzel and Flynn, then back. "Wha't just happened?"

The other two looked at her, as if just realizing her presence. "Her hair glows and can heal things." Flynn answered as they got up.

"I could use some of that over here." Hiccup said, standing up.

"Oh, of course." She repeated the process on his arm. "Thank you for your help. I don't want to think about what would have happened if you hadn't shown up when you did."

Hiccup inspected the injury again with wide eyes. It was like new; not a mark left. "Whoa."

"It's weird, huh?" Flynn said. "I'm still getting over it."

"Ay'm glad we could help." Merida answered. Rapunzel gave her a hug.

"And I'm still invisible." Jack muttered. He turned to Flynn. "So, why does she call you Eugene? I thought your name was Flynn."

"It's my real name. The other one I made up when I became a thief."

"What was that?" Rapunzel let go of Merida.

"I was just saying how my real name is Eugene Fitzherbert and I used the name Flynn Rider when I started gaining reputation as a thief." Flynn/Eugene explained.

"Okay…" Rapunzel said, slightly confused.

"Really?" Merida asked, interested.

"That makes a little more sense." Jack said.

Eugene nodded. "I think that I'll go by this name from now on." He put an arm around Rapunzel. "I'm going to turn over a new leaf. No more stealing, no more running from the guards, no more working with those backstabbing Stabbingtons."

Stabbington… "Hiccup! Your dad, the Stabbingtons are still planning on ransoming you." Jack exclaimed suddenly.

"Oh, that's right. I need to get back and show them that I'm okay." Hiccup rushed to the window to see the time. "Do you think we still have time?"

"I don't know." Jack answered.

"Are they crazy?" Merida asked. "Yeugh escape and they still try to use you for money?"

"They must be mad about losing the crown and the chance to have Rapunzel's hair." Flynn/Eugene suggested. "They sometimes go to extreme lengths for money. We'll come with you. We should leave this place behind." He started moving toward the trapdoor but Rapunzel stopped him.

"We can use my hair to get down." She reminded him.

"Right."

Soon they were racing back through the forest. Eugene and Rapunzel rode on Maximus and Merida and Hiccup rode the borrowed mare from the castle. Jack flew alongside them. He didn't know where they were going but once he repeated what the Scarred Stabbington had said to his brother, Flynn and Maximus took the lead.


	13. Lost Returning

**Spring Break is here for me, and one of my goals is to finish uploading the rest of these. So be prepared for a lot more chapters this week.**

"Where is my son?!" A voice bellowed through the forest. Birds flew up into the air and the horses pricked their ears forward.

Hiccup and Jack exchanged a look. "Guess we missed the ransom." Jack said.

"Not by much, though." Hiccup answered. They both grinned.

Merida and Flynn slowed the horses to a walk. The Scottish princess turned to look at Hiccup and Jack, a question in her eyes. "Wha' are yeugh talking about? What was that?"

"My guess would be that my old colleagues tried to ransom Hiccup here and it didn't work out quite as they planned." Flynn mused.

"Vikings don't do ransoms." Hiccup clarified. "I told the Stabbington brothers that I come from a rich and powerful family who would pay anything to get me back. Thing is my dad would rather launch a one man attack instead of giving anything away."

"Which means," Jack added. "That those guys probably went in there looking for easy money and came across a bunch of angry vikings looking for their kinsman instead. How much do you want to bet that it took less than five minutes to take them down?"

"They probably had them strung up before they even knew what was happening."

"Eugene?" Rapunzel whispered from behind him on Maximus. "Who is he talking to?"

"I'll explain it to you after." The former thief whispered back. "It's a little complicated."

"It sounds like they're up ahead." Merida said. "Do yeugh really think that your family could have done that that fast?"

"Without a doubt." The viking and the spirit said in unison.

The group passed through a pair of trees and came into sight of a larger party of people, most of them royalty from the castle. Stoic the vast was holding up one of the thieves by the shirt while Gobber poked a knife at him.

"We only had him for a while, I swear." The Stbbington was babbling. It was the one with scars on his face. "He escaped earlier this morning and we never saw him again. I'm telling the truth."

"If you have hurt my son, you two won't be seeing the inside the castle prison." Stoic shook the man. "There'll be no need anymore."

"Dad." Hiccup dismounted the horse. "I'm fine."

Everyone in the clearing stopped what they were doing at looked at the newcomers. On the ground near Stoic sat the other brother, bound and guarded by a pair of soldiers. Behind them stood the King and Queen of Corona and the King and Queen of the Scottish Highlands. An open chest filled to the brim with gold coins sat between them. Over to the side stood Hiccup's uncle and cousin; Spitelout and Snotlout with various weapons at their feet.

Several things happened at once. Stoic dropped Scar-Face and wrapped his son in a bear hug while Gobber kept a knife trained on the Stabbington. "I'm so glad you're safe." He whispered.

Rapunzel's arm tightened around Eugene waist. "Is that…?"

"The king and queen of the kingdom who hates me?" Eugene finished. "Yep." He backed the horse up behind Merida's trying to stay unobtrusive.

"Mum? Da?" Merida recognized her parents at the same time they saw her. "Wha' are yeugh doing here?"

"Merida! You are supposed to be in bed." Queen Elinor approached the horse. "I should have known yeugh'd be out here."

"We were helping with the ransom." King Fergus explained. "Much better than sitting aroun' all day negotiating."

The wayward princess dismounted, cringing a little as she put weight on her ankle. "I don't understand."

"Where have you been?" Stoic asked once he let Hiccup go. "If you escaped them hours ago why didn't you come straight back?"

"At first I was being pursued so I couldn't go straight back without risking them finding me again and then I got sidetracked helping out a couple of new friends."

"Sounds like you've 'ad a busy day." Gobber said. A couple soldiers had come over and were helping tie up the thief.

"You can say that again."

"Eugene, I need to tell you something. Something I learned back at the tower." Rapunzel said quietly, there was a tone to her voice that worried Eugene. She sounded nervous, unsure.

"What is it?" He asked, worried.

"Can we talk somewhere else?"

"Sure. Maximus, do you mind taking us somewhere private?" He asked the horse. Maximus snorted and shook his mane.

"Is that the man who helped yeugh last night?" Elinor asked her daughter, recognizing him from the wanted poster, though his nose was different.

"This is Flynn, er, Eugene. And that is Rapunzel." Merida introduced.

"I suppose Ay should thank you for helping my daughter." The queen extended her hand. "Though I am not overly thrilled to recognize your face from a wanted poster."

Eugene dismounted and took the proffered hand. "Those days are long behind me." He assured her. "We were just going." Attention was on him, including the eyes of the Coronan King and Queen and the soldiers. He really didn't want to be taken to prison again; not when he could start over again with Rapunzel.

"If there is anything we can do to repay you, just say the word." Fergus offered.

Eugene merely nodded and mounted the horse. He clicked his tongue and Maximus carried him and Rapunzel away. The soldiers in the clearing looked toward King Thomas for orders. Were they going to let the wanted thief go away, just like that. The king nodded and watched him go. Queen Primrose watched also, but her eyes were on the girl riding behind the thief. Something about her made the queen's heart ache.

"Well, this has been an eventful day." King Thomas spoke up. "Let us return to the castle so we can give your children some rest, and deal with these two. I would say that any explanations can wait until later."

Jack had stayed in the background during the whole reunion. He watched as both his best friends were embraced by their family. He saw the look the Stabbington brothers and all the soldiers in the clearing gave Eugene when he appeared and laughed a little. The whole scene made him feel awkward, though. There was never any place for him in scenes like these where no one but a select few could see him.

When Eugene and Rapunzel left, he followed. Anything to get away from that scene, plus he wanted to talk to Eugene about what he was going to do from now on. He flew alongside Maximus, who snickered in greeting.

"Coming with us?" Eugene asked.

"Wanted to hear your plans for the future." The winter spirit answered. "What do you guys plan on doing now?"

"Haven't really thought that far ahead. We'll probably find a place to settle now that this is all over. Start over new, you know."

"Eugene, who are you talking to?"

"Er, um. It's kind of hard to explain." Flynn hedged. How would he explain that he was talking to an invisible spirit of winter?

"Is it like what Hiccup was talking to before?" They'd all been acting like there's been another person with them, though she couldn't see him. Were they crazy? Or was she not seeing something that should be obvious?

Jack and Eugene exchanged a look and Jack shrugged. "Well, um. I guess you could say he's like an invisible imaginary friend. His name is Jack Frost." Eugene tried to explain lamely.

"I am not like an imaginary friend?" Jack protested.

"Jack Frost? Like in the stories?" She'd heard that name before. A few of the books in the tower had mentioned him in glancing as a mischievous spirit who brought cold, though it never really got cold here, and she never thought that it was based on truth. "Are you telling me that he exists and is right here?"

"I guess my reputation precedes me even here." Jack commented.

Rapunzel's eyes grew wide as she suddenly saw him.

For the second time in a short while, Jack experienced a rush of excitement as someone new saw him for the first time. He didn't quite understand what it was that allowed them to see him, but just the simple fact that they could see him felt good. He grinned at her. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too." Rapunzel replied warily. "Are you real?" She reached out a hand to touch him; he was solid, and cold. "Wow."

"Weird, isn't it?" Eugene asked, he pulled on the reins to halt Maximus. They were far enough away from the others that it was safe to stop and talk. "I was startled too when I first saw him. It was like he appeared out of nowhere."

"Yeah. Why are you like this?" She asked him.

"I don't know. I just woke up like this one night. No memory of who I was before or where I came from, I just knew my name was Jack Frost."

"Oh. And no one can see you?"

"No one except Hiccup, Merida, and now you two."

"That must have been hard." Rapunzel sympathized.

Jack shrugged, "I got used to it, I guess. I have the winds and can control ice. It's kind of cool." He touched a tree and let them see the ferny frost spread from his fingers.

"Nice." Eugene remarked.

"It has its perks sometimes." He smirked. "I should probably go and catch up with the others."

"Come visit us sometime, when everything has calmed down, you and your friends." Eugene offered.

"Sure. That will be fun." The winter spirit called on the winds to lift him into the air and with a final wave, flew off toward the castle.

Rapunzel watched him go with wide eyes. "I can't believe I met a winter spirit. Mother always told me they didn't exist."

"Yeah, I thought that too." Flynn remarked. "Hey, are you okay, what's the matter?" Rapunzel had gotten quiet. He turned and saw a strange look on her face. "Is it your mother?"

"I have something to tell you, Eugene. The thing I learned, but… Can we go back to the tower and talk?" She seemed uncomfortable.

Eugene frowned, "Sure, anything. Come on Max." The horse started walking again.

A little while later, they had found their way back to the hidden valley. Rapunzel was still acting oddly but she wouldn't say anything. She stood at the base of the tower, looking up at the window she watched out of her whole life. Now, here she was on the other side, and there were so many things she now knew, about herself and the world.

"Do you want to go up?" Flynn asked, still worried about her. What could she have learned that was bothering her so much?

She shook her head, then nodded. "There's something I need to show you."

The piece of cloth was on the stairs where it had fallen when Gothel grabbed her and she picked it up now. "I have never seen this symbol before today." She told Flynn. "But look." She pointed up to the dark ceiling covered in paint.

"I don't see anything."

Rapunzel grabbed the end of her hair and tossed it to a lever in the rafters and pulled, opening a sun light. Now, they could see all the images that she had painted over the years.

"Up there, that group of birds, can you see it? They make the same image as this symbol. And over there, those dancing girls, or that flower. They're like the sun on this cloth."

"I'm not sure I get what you mean." Flynn said, frowning as he squinted into the rafters.

"Eugene, I think I'm the lost princess."

"Whoa, what?"

"I think Mother stole me as a baby and brought me here. So she could keep my magic for herself. It explains why she always kept me up here, why the lanterns always appeared on my birthday, and why I see all these suns in my paintings."

Eugene thought for a moment. "It would make a little sense, I suppose. And you do bear a striking resemblance to the mosaic of the royal family. Is that why she had you tied up? And is that why you acted so weird when we saw the king and queen?"

Rapunzel nodded, tears forming in her eyes. "All this time. She raised me and she wasn't even…"

"Hey. Blondie. It's alright." He put his hands on her shoulders and she looked up at him. So this was why seemed so upset. To discover that her only family was just using her and that her real family was nearby and missing her greatly for eighteen years would be hard. "It's all over now." He assured her. "And now that we know the truth, we can go back to the castle and tell the king and queen. Your parents."

Rapunzel nodded, sniffing. "Thank you, Eugene. For everything." She hugged him, long and hard while he stroked her hair.

When she was calm, they started back through the forest. It felt like they had been through that way so many times over the past few days. By the time they reached the castle town, it was late. The sun had been down for a while. Eugene gave Rapunzel the choice to go straight to the castle or wait till morning in one of the inns. She chose the latter, deciding that there had been enough excitement for the kingdom for one day. The extra time would also allow her to come to terms better with all that had happened.

"Are you ready for this?" Eugene asked Rapunzel. It was about midmorning and they had asked some of the village girls to braid her hair again to keep it from getting in the way. Now they stood on the steps of the grand castle. Soldiers were looking closely at Eugene's face, recognizing him from the wanted posters and his grand escape from before, but they hesitated in confusion. Why would he come back, who was this girl with him and why had they came to the castle? Plus they had heard the story about his role in the adventures of the Scottish princess and Viking prince.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess." She replied nervously.

The approached the door together. "Please inform the king and queen, that their daughter has come home." Eugene told one of the guards. The man's eyes went to the blonde girl next to him and his face went white. He nodded to the other guard and went inside. The remaining soldier escorted the two through the castle to a balcony where they could meet the king and queen.

Rapunzel looked out over the courtyard at the town and the lake and at the distant land beyond where she had grown up hidden in a secluded valley. Eugene stood next to her, giving silent support.

Behind them the doors opened and they turned to see two figures. King Thomas and Queen Primrose of Corona stood there on the balcony as they laid eyes on their daughter for the second time in almost eighteen years. They recognized the couple from yesterday. The queen slowly approached, as if not quite believing it, but the girl in front of her was her daughter, she knew. The king stood back, it was uncanny how she looked like his beloved wife. He knew there was something familiar about her when he saw her before. Soon Rapunzel was wrapped in a hug by her true parents. She was home.

Not one word was said until they had detangled themselves and King Thomas gestured to one of the guards standing nearby. "Let it be known," He said, his voice choking up. "that the lost princess has finally come home."

**Well, here it is. This is the last chapter that follows the Tangled movie plot line. Sort of. The next few will take place after the movie.  
**


	14. Ransom Meeting (Extra)

**This one was just for fun. In case anyone wondered how the Stabbington Brothers were taken down, by two royal coupl****es and a bunch of vikings.**

**Enjoy!**

"Remember the plan." One Stabbington brother whispered to the other as they spied on their targets. A worried couple standing in front of a large chest in the middle of the clearing chosen for the ransom. A pair of guards stood at a distance from them on lookout.

The one with a scar running down the length of his face stepped up into view and could be seen greeting them, hands in the air. "You're Majesties." He said gruffly.

"We have come for our son," The woman's voice answered. "We've the ransom yeugh asked for."

"Pass over the money, and we'll let your son go free." Scarface said.. "A hundred thousand gold coins. Worth ten crowns."

The one with an eye patch smiled wickedly at the mention of the money. He still hid in the bushes. Ready to cause a diversion so his brother could get away with the money. They'd meet at the usual spot later.

"First let us see our son." The man spoke now. He reached down and held his wife's hand. "Let us know that he's okay."

"We have him nearby. We get the money, your son goes free. That's proof we have him. He tossed them a leather bound notebook. They had taken it off of Hiccup when they tied him up. It had all his designs and sketches in there, even some drawings of the dragons from back home. The woman bent down to pick it up and leaf through the pages.

"Now, show me the money." Scar face said. Eye patch shifted to get a better look from the bushes, as he did, a hand clapped over his mouth. He tried to struggle but suddenly all was black.

The man kicked the chest with his one good foot and the lid popped open, revealing it to be full to the brim of coins. "A thousand gold crowns." He nudged the chest forward. "Now, where is my son?"

Scar face snapped his fingers, a sign for the diversion to begin, but nothing happened. He snapped his fingers again and looked toward the bush his brother was hiding behind. A wry smile appeared on the woman's face, quickly hidden behind her hand.

"Well?" The man demanded.

"I, uh." The criminal edged backward. Something was wrong here, money or not he needed to abort. He heard a thump and his brother appeared on the ground in front of the bush, bound and gagged, his eyes issued a warning. Suddenly, there was someone standing behind him. Turning, he saw a big bearded man with a steel glint in his eyes and a fist coming right at him, then nothing.

With both convicted criminals incapacitated, two figured appeared from behind another bush. The King and Queen of Corona surveyed the scene and joined the King and Queen of the Scottish Highlands in the middle of the clearing. A couple of soldiers appeared with them and took up defensive positions around the clearing for safety.

"That went smoothly." King Thomas remarked.

"I wanted to knock him out." A young viking complained, coming out of the brush, followed by his father.

"You can knock him out again if he makes trouble." Spitelout promised.

"There's no sign of Hiccup." Gobber and three more soldiers followed. "A don't think they even brought him wi' them."

"What?!" Stoic asked. He bent down to pick up the man he just felled and shook him.


	15. Villainous Schemes

"And then I threw it all into the ocean. Not even that brat could have blamed it on me after all that." Mildew was saying. He chuckled at the memory from 4 years before, when he had succeeded in driving away all the dragons from Berk for at least a while.

The big man from across the table gave a grunt in response and moved one of the chess pieces in front of him.

"Ooh. Good move, but you forgot about my bishop here." Mildew made his move and removed one of the black pieces from the board. Beating this Scottish prince was putting him in a good mood.

Mor'du didn't say anything but simply moved his knight and grunted, "Checkmate."

Mildew looked aghast at the board, "Wha-? Bah. How did I miss that?" The other man merely shrugged and began to reset the pieces.

Above, the main source of light, coming from a hole in the top of the giant cavern, grew dim. Shadows began to circle the room and Mildew shivered despite the warmth of the day. He looked up to see a pair of giant steeds of black sand materialize, one carrying a woman in a dark blue cloak and another a pale man all in black.

"'Bout time you two showed up, bear-man here and I were getting tired of waiting. What took you so long?" Mildew leaned on his dragon tooth staff. "Having trouble with your charge?"

"You're one to talk," Mother Gothel replied tersely, dismounting gracefully from her nightMare steed. "Didn't you lose control of yours five years ago?"

"How was I supposed to know the lad would befriend one of those beasts and change everything? It's not exactly easy to keep him back once he learned what he could do. Didn't help that he got the entire village behind him."

"And now he's running about the forest ruining everything I had worked for all these years." She advanced on him and pointed a finger. "It might as well be your fault that Rapunzel figured everything out and turned on me. And you!" She looked at Mor'du, "You wandered those woods for years and ended up being defeated by the same girl you were supposed to keep cowed. Who do you think showed up in my tower just when I was about to get things under control again?" She sat down on one of the stone chairs and put her hand on her forehead. "Everything is falling apart."

"We knew this day was coming, Gothel." The pale man said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She looked up at him and glared. "What did you do to Jack Overland?" She asked.

Pitch smiled. "I took care of him long ago and made it so he could never fulfill his role in the prophecy."

"By doing what?" Gothel prompted, her voice dark and serious. Mildew and Mor'du looked at Pitch as well, curious about the fate of the fourth child.

"I broke the ice he was skating on top of one day and let him drown. He would have died and been out of our hair forever, but the moon intervened and brought him back. However, no one can see him or touch him. Not much more than a ghost." He smiled again and gave a little bow. "It seems to me that of all of us, I have been the most successful."

Gothel shook her head, grimly, "It seems to me that all of us has failed in our duties, as he was in my tower as well today. They know each other now, friends; it's all downhill from here."

"Are you telling me that they all have met and are working together?" Mildew asked.

"Judging by the events over these last few days, I would guess that they have." Pitch said, pacing. "But how did Jack meet the others. No one can see him, not since he died eighteen years ago."

"There's magic here beyond our ken." The giant bear-prince said gruffly.

The witch nodded. "There must be, but we still must overcome it if we are to succeed."

There was silence for a moment. "They still don't know anything, though, do they?" Mildew spoke up. "To them it's all games and friendship." He spat at that last word. "They have no idea what is out there or what it is we are trying to do here." The others nodded.

"Let's hope it stays that way." Gothel said. "We can't have them getting any closer."

"Who would tell them anyway? " Mildew asked, "Not the oracle? He wouldn't interfere. No, I believe we are safe for a time."

"The Guardians would." Mor'du's deep voice reminded them of who they were up against; the only others who knew of the prophecy and stood in their way.

"Bah, those fools are too busy with their other duties to worry about us now."

"Not now that they know each other." Pitch told them. "The blasted moon will warn them."

"We have to keep them from getting close then." Mother Gothel suggested. "If they don't get along, then they won't work together long enough to fulfill the prophecy."

"Ooh, that'll be hard." The old viking muttered. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to break up friendships? Even new ones? Especially when they've been fated to be so?"

"You over estimate these brats, Mildew." Pitch answered. "They're still just children, with insecurities and uncertainties," He held out his hand and a black sun, a dragon, a bear, and a snowflake appeared, circling above his palm. "Easily guided by their worst fears." He crushed the figures and black dust flew from his fist in a puff. "Just leave it to me."

**Just to clear up some confusion:**

** I decided that Mor'du didn't die when he was smashed by the rock in the grove in Brave. Instead, Gothel and Pitch and some other worldly power saved him and they brought him back to Pitch's hideout to recover. He also has the ability to shift between his human and bear form. He either had that ability before and forgot about it or was given it later, I can't remember. Either way, he started out as a terror of the forest, purposefully making it a dangerous place for even a spirited princess to be wandering around in, but animal instincts such as food, water, and shelter kicked in and clouded his mind until he forgot about his original mission and faded more into legend than threat. He remembered everything when he saw her in his home during the movie.**

**For those of you who don't recognize the other guy; Mildew is from the How To Train Your Dragon tv series. He's known as the village grump who hates dragons with a burning passion and who no one wants to be around. **

**Other things will become clear later, but I hope that helped.**


	16. New Beginnings

The chains were cold and chaffing her wrists. The gag prevented her from shouting or warning him as he was stabbed from behind. She watched as Eugene fell to the ground as her mother pulled a knife from his side. She screamed but all her sounds were muffled. She couldn't get to him, to heal him.

"Now look at why you've done, Rapunzel." Gothel wiped off the blade and stood over Eugene's fallen form. "Oh, don't worry dear; our secret will die with him." She started untying her chain from the support beam of the tower. "And as for us; we are going where no one will ever find you again."

Rapunzel struggled as she tried to get to him. She couldn't let him die like that. She had to make sure he was okay.

"Rapunzel, Really." Gothel said as she pulled her to the trapdoor. "Enough already." Rapunzel struggled harder; she couldn't leave him there. She couldn't go away, not after all she had learned and experienced. "Stop fighting me!"

"No!" The gag slipped from her mouth as she struggled away from the woman she had once believed to be her mother and only friend in the world. "I won't stop. For every minute for the rest of my life I will fight. I will never stop trying to get away from you." She paused, breathing heavily, a desperate idea coming to her mind; the only way she could think to save him, though it was at great cost.

"But," She continued, "If you let me save him, I will go with you. I'll never run, I'll never try to escape. Just let me heal him and you and I will be together, forever, just like you want." She ignored the sound of Eugene's quiet protest in the background and looked at her mother pleadingly. "Everything will be just like it was, I promise. Just like you want. Just let me heal him."

Gothel agreed and released her from her binds and put the chains on the wounded man. Rapunzel rushed over to him as he tried to sit up, coughing painfully. "Eugene. Oh, I'm so sorry." She looked at his wound. It was bad, it went all the way through his side and blood was everywhere. Would she even be able to heal such a wound? She had to. "Everything is going to be okay though, I promise. You have to trust me." She gathered her hair to put it on the wound.

Eugene pushed her back. "No, no Rapunzel." He managed through gasps as he pushed her hands away.

"Come on, just breathe." She had to save him.

"I can't let you do this." He said and looked at her. His eyes were pleading with her to not through her life away, and her heart broke at what she had to do.

"And I can't let you die." She whispered, her voice choking up. Tears were forming.

"But if you do this-" He started.

"Shhh."

"Then you will die."

It was true, she thought. Her life just wouldn't be the same after all this, no matter how much she'll pretend in the future, wherever Gothel will take her. Her heart was being ripped into shreds and it would be torn no matter which choice she made. At least this way he'll live. "Hey, it's going to be alright." She comforted. Maybe it will be, she tried to tell herself.

Eugene looked at her, despair and regret filling his face. She closed her eyes and prepared herself to sing the song that will save him.

"Rapunzel." His voice stopped her for a second. "Wait." He reached up with one of his shackled hands and brushed the hair from her face. But instead of stopping, the hand continued on, pulling the hair behind her head, and his other hand came up. It happened so fast and suddenly her head felt light, free, and a draft touched the back of her neck. Her hair was gone. Eugene had cut her hair instead of let himself be healed by it. He fell back, unconscious. He had lost too much blood, and that had taken the last of his strength.

"Noooo." Gothel screamed from behind her. Rapunzel turned to see the long ribbon of her golden hair turn dark. Cut from her head it lost its magical luster. Gothel was scrambling gathering up the hair as if that would keep it from turning brown.

"What have you done?" She screamed, her hair turning white, her skin wrinkly. "What have you done?" The old woman ran to the broken mirror lying in the center of the room. She recoiled from her reflection and pulled the hood of her cloak over her face. Rapunzel watched as Gothel backed up, her body convulsing under the cloak, to the window of the tower. She didn't stop and fell over the side and out of view, her screams still heard as she plummeted to the ground.

Rapunzel sat there, horrified as the woman who she had known all her life, who raised her, evil or no, fell to her death. Then she remembered the dying man next her.

"No, no, no, no, Eugene." She held his head. He coughed and his eyes fluttered, showing her that he still lived, if only barely. "Oh, look at me, look at me. I'm right here. Don't go, stay with me, Eugene." She grabbed his hand and placed it on her head. "Flower, gleam and glow. Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine." It wasn't working. Her hair wasn't magical anymore. There was nothing happening!

"Rapunzel." Eugene coughed.

"What?" She stopped singing and looked at him. He was so weak.

"You were my new dream." He whispered, his strength so far gone.

She tried to smile, but it was painful. "And you were mine." She whispered back, still holding his hand. He fluttered his eyelids open once again and met her eyes. Then he closed them and let out a sigh. Suddenly he felt limp, almost lighter as if something had just left him. He was gone. She couldn't save him. Eugene was gone, Gothel was gone, her hair was gone. Everything.

"Heal what has been hurt," she whispered. "Change the fate's design. Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine." A single tear fell and landed on his cheek. "What once was mine."

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Rapunzel sat up with a start. Her chest heaving painfully, her heart racing fast. She was in a bed, in a bright room. Sun was streaming through the open window. This wasn't the tower. Where was she?

It took her a second to remember. The castle. She was the lost princess.

The door to her room opened and Eugene's head poked in. "I was just heading down to breakfast, would you care to-."

"Eugene!" Rapunzel scrambled out of bed and flung herself across the room. It was just a dream. He was alive. He was safe. Her hair swung behind her heavily; it was still braided from before, it was easier if it was out of the way like this. It wasn't cut at all. It was all a dream.

"Whoa. Glad to see you too." Eugene remarked as she hugged him tightly. "Is everything okay."

Rapunzel nodded and pulled back. She brushed a tear from her eye. "I just had this awful dream. It was so real, Eugene. You died and I… I couldn't help you. Back in the tower."

He came in and pulled her into a hug. "It's okay. I'm okay. It was just a nightmare." He said soothingly. She nodded and sniffed. "Now, Breakfast? I think we'll get to see those others there, Merida and Hiccup, maybe Jack."

She perked up at that. It would be nice to get to know them a little better after all that had happened. And maybe seeing them would help her get her mind off of that horrible dream.

"And so, then, they start running around the place, using a chicken to convince t'other chieftains that a bear was loose in the castle." Merida snorted, telling Hiccup and Jack about her bear adventure earlier that summer. "Ay was trying to keep my mum from being seen, but the fact that they had gotten everyone up onto the turret, and trapped them there was so funny." Her brothers, sitting next to her nodded and high fived each other. "They managed to get back down by tying their kilts together in a rope."

The mental image that conjured was comical, and all six of them laughed. Jack felt a rush of excitement at the sound of his two best friends laughing together. It was unreal that they were in the same place, exchanging stories like friends themselves. It felt like so many people knew him now, compared to the years he had spent alone, with only the knowledge of his name and the ice. Nothing else. He still wondered why he was here and why the majority of people couldn't see him, but here, among the few who did, he was happy.

One of the triplets caught his eye and pointed at the goblet Merida was holding, swinging around as she continued her story and Jack nodded. Just as the princess paused to take a sip of her drink a flash of ice burst from his staff and froze the liquid inside. Her tongue stuck to the cold drink and she pulled at it uselessly. She glared at Jack.

"thhss sss noth thunnni, shhak!" She tried saying, still glaring at the winter spirit but a smile still creeping into her eyes.

"Blame Hamish, here. It was his idea." Jack blamed, the triplet indicated looked offended and pointed to his brother on the left. "Oh, sorry, Hubert, I meant." The third brother shook his head and pointed to himself. "Harris, then. You three are too identical."

Hiccup poured a glass of water from the bottle on the table and spilled it onto Merida's tongue, freeing her.

"Ow." She complained, putting her cup down. "Thanths, Hiccup. Not cool, you guys."

"Aw, come on Mer, you have to admit, it was a little funny. You should have seen your face."

She frowned for a second, then broke into a smile. "Alright, It may have been a wee bit funny, but I still don't forgive you. And you Harris will get it later."

"So what I don't understand," Hiccup interjected. "is how your brothers can see Jack. I thought it was just us two and now Rapunzel and Eugene."

Merida shrugged. "I used to tell them stories about my imaginary friend who froze the windows in the winter and sometimes visited me and one day they were with me when I saw Jack and they could see him too. Ay don't really know why."

"There seems to be a pattern in when we can all see you, I think." Hiccup said thoughtfully.

"A pattern?" Jack looked at his friend. Was it possible that there was a link in what helped people see him?

"Hey, guys." Eugene and Rapunzel came up to the table. "Nice to see you all here."

"We heard what happened! Congratulations Rapunzel!" Merida got up and hugged the other girl. "Who'd of guessed that yeugh were th' lost princess all along?"

"Yeah. It's all kind of overwhelming."

"I bet." Hiccup patted the seat next to him and the two sat down. "After all that happened these last two days…"

"I'm just glad to see some familiar faces here." Rapunzel smiled. Jack noticed there were circles under her eyes. "It's all so new."

"You'll all be happy to know that all charges on me have been dropped." Eugene declared. "I've got a clean slate now, a new start."

"That's awesome." Jack clapped the man on the back.

"Congratulations." Merida smiled.

"And I convinced the k- my father, to also give the men from the Snuggly Duckling chances to live their dreams too!" Rapunzel added. The others fell silent, not sure who she was talking about. "Oh, I guess you never met them. There's one who wants to be a piano concerto, and another likes interior designing, and there was a mime."

"Cool." Jack said. "You should get the guy who plays piano to play at the festivities celebrating your return."

"Ooh, that's a great idea!"

Eugene frowned, "So what's the whole plan for the festivities, anyway?"

"The king just said there will be celebrations." Hiccup shrugged. "Everyone is excited that their lost princess has returned an all, so it may last for a while."

"Sweet."

A sudden hush in the room drew their attention to the King and Queen who had just entered the dining hall. They started to walk to their table on the dais and the dining guests stood up to honor them. Eugene nudged Rapunzel and indicated that she go to them.

"I'll see you guys later." She whispered as she left to dine with her parents for the first time.


	17. Dark Thoughts

"She's really become the princess this kingdom has been waiting for." Eugene said, leaning against the parapet. The sky was bright blue and sunny and below in the courtyard the celebration continued.

"Yeah," Jack watched Rapunzel dancing among her people. "She seems to be adjusting well to the whole thing, too." It had been a week already and the days have been filled with celebration, feasts, dancing. Rapunzel was had been spending a lot of time with her new found family, and Hiccup and Merida and the other royal families had been invited to extend their stay.

"It seems like it, though I don't think she's been sleeping well. She tries to hide it, but there's something bothering her."

Jack frowned. "Bad dreams?"

Eugene nodded. "About back at the tower. She keeps dreaming that I died after Gothel stabbed me, and you guys never showed up. Or that Gothel had taken her away and locked her up like she was going to do." It was hard to imagine the happy figure below, smiling and dancing and being with her parents and people as the girl who had dark circles under her eyes in the mornings when he came to see her and was too scared to go to sleep at night.

"But she's safe, and Gothel's gone. What could be worrying her?"

"Traumatic experiences?" Eugene suggested.

Jack shook his head, he didn't know why but he didn't feel like that was the answer. Something else was going on here. "Hiccup hasn't been sleeping well either." He said after a minute.

"Maybe something's going around."

"I don't know."

They both watched the courtyard for a while. Merida's brothers ran through the crowd as their disgruntled nursemaid chased after them. Over to the side, one of the thugs that Rapunzel had befriended last week played piano and, next to him, a mime performed to a group of people. Everyone seemed to be having a good time.

"How come you aren't enjoying the party with the others?" Jack asked finally.

Eugene shrugged. "I noticed you all alone up here and thought I would come keep you company. Parties aren't my style anyway."

Jack frowned, not sure how to react. He still wasn't used to having so many people at once able to see him and who cared about him. "Me neither. Can't really dance." He joked. "Two left feet."

Eugene turned to look at him. "How long have you been invisible to everyone?"

"Almost eighteen years, now. I think."

"And nothing before that?"

Jack shook his head, then paused. "Actually, do you remember back in the tower when Gothel mentioned someone named Jack Overland?"

"I think I remember something along those lines. It was before she threw that knife at Hiccup."

"It triggered a memory, sort of, when she said it. It's weird, but I kind of feel like that was my name before I became Jack Frost, but I don't know how, or why. And why she would have known."

"I don't think she could see you either." Eugene agreed.

Jack ran his fingers through his hair. "Which makes it even more confusing. I just don't understand it." He said, frustrated.

A sudden commotion from below caught their attention as a fiery mane appeared in the courtyard, yelling at the dark haired figure following after her. Queen Elinor said something to her daughter in response and Merida abruptly turned and wound her way through crowd. King Fergus made his way to his wife and made a questioning gesture and the queen threw up her hands in exasperation.

"I wonder what thats about." Eugene mused.

"I don't know. I'm going to go see." The spirit called the winds to lift him off the wall.

"Meet you downstairs."

Jack flew through the crowd after his friend as she stormed into the stables. He found her in a corner of one of the stalls sobbing.

"Go away, Jack." She had felt his cold presence and didn't bother looking up.

"What happened? I saw you arguing with your mom."

"I doun't want to talk aboot it, okay?" She snapped. "She's being unreasonable and mean, and controlling, and Ay need space."

Jack backed up, stunned. Merida never yelled at him like that. She normally vented to him when she was upset. "But-"

"Just leave me alone."

Jack exited the stables confused. Did he do something? What happened that she would shut him out? He felt sick.

He flew back and found Eugene by the king and queen DunBroch as Elinor explained about the argument.

"Ay was jus' telling her to pick up her room, when she threw her clothes everywhere and told mey to stop telling her what to do. She said that it was just like before…" She put her hand to her mouth. Fergus put his hand on her shoulder and pulled her into a hug. "I just don't know what got over her."

Eugene edged closer to Jack, "Did you talk to Merida?" He whispered.

"She wouldn't talk to me. She told me to leave her alone." Jack responded, still confused. "She used to always talk to me."

"Hmm, one second." Eugene turned and disappeared into the crowd. Jack saw him catch Rapunzel by the arm and speak to her briefly, then point to the stables. She nodded with a worried look, and then ran off.

Jack came up behind Eugene. "Do you think she can talk to her?"

"Worth a shot. In my experience, girls prefer to talk to others of their own gender when something's bothering them."

"Really?"

"Hey, guys. What are you talking about?" A new voice came from behind them.

Jack and Eugene turned to see Hiccup standing there. "Hey. Where have you been?" The winter spirit asked his friend.

"Just around." He replied. "What's going on?"

"Merida had a freak-out and Rapunzel went to go see what was going on." Eugene summarized.

"That doesn't sound like Merida." Hiccup frowned.

"I know, right?" Jack said. "She told me to go away when I went to see her." He looked back at the stables and saw Rapunzel come out, her long braid swinging behind her.

All three boys waited expectantly as she came up. But she just shrugged and said, "She just needs space, she's been cooped up all day and wanted to get out is all."

Behind them the stable doors opened up again, and Merida rode out on the mare she had borrowed earlier in the week. She barely looked at her friends as she left the castle courtyard and headed out through the town.

"She's going to go out for a ride to clear her thoughts." Rapunzel explained. "She'll be back later, once she's calmed down a bit."

Hiccup and Eugene nodded at that and accepted that the princess needed some space and fresh air, but Jack frowned; something wasn't right about the way Merida was acting.

"Come on Jack, let's go enjoy the festivities for a while. We can go watch the mime." Eugene nudged him. Jack nodded and followed the others through the crowd, careful not to touch anyone so that he didn't go through them.

Merida rode through the castle roads with hands clenching the reins. There was so much pent up energy inside, a quick ride in the forest was all she needed. There wasn't a lot of people out and about, with everyone celebrating at the castle still, so she didn't have to be too worried about running anyone over. After a while she crossed the bridge and rode into the forest, where she breathed a sigh of relief. The cool scent of the trees and bushes was calming and soon she slowed the mare to a walk so she could enjoy the scenery.

Away from all the noise from the castle she felt like she had behaved rashly. Her mother had only been trying to help keep her room clean; she was a guest here at the castle, and they were leaving soon. She had to admit that it had been a little messy. Why had she suddenly exploded like that? A pang of regret hit her; her mother would be upset at what she said to her, they had only just become close again, too. And Jack, she had just pushed him away when he only wanted to help her, she always confided in Jack when he was around and she was upset.

But he could never really understand, could he? A voice whispered in the back of her mind. He doesn't understand what it's like to be constantly controlled every day for everything, not even Rapunzel would understand the true extent of that frustration.

It was true; there were some problems that Jack couldn't understand. And Rapunzel hadn't spent her life be constantly primed for marriage, though she had been kept locked up her whole life.

And your mother didn't have to keep you inside away from the festivities to clean a room that wasn't even yours. A maid was going to clean it anyway. The inner voice said again.

Yeah. That's right, and when they leave to go home in a few days, all that stuff will just be put back in her bags. Nobody cares what the room looks like anyway, except her mother. She was just trying to control her, keep her busy from going outside to join in the festivities by making her clean that stupid room. What if things really were going back to how they were, when she had to be a proper princess all the time, with the queen constantly telling her how to act and behave? She shook her head, she won't let it get back to that, she couldn't live like that again, when her mother was even in control over whom she would marry.

She thought back to the dream she had last night about the games held earlier in the summer when the chieftain's sons each competed for her hand. She had dreamed that Little Dingwall had won the archery contest, and she was forced to marry him and go to live with him away from the DunBroch castle she had grown up in. It was a horrible nightmare.

She scowled and urged the horse faster, to feel the rush of air on her face which had gone hot with anger. Was she being unreasonable for wanting some space on this vacation and to be able to make her own decisions? Maybe they didn't trust her, she thought. After she ran off into the woods to help Hiccup when she was supposed to stay in bed, her parents hadn't seemed mad, but they were adamant that she stay in bed; that was until Rapunzel healed her ankle. And they never left her alone for too long either all week, someone she knew was always nearby.

They would probably send someone after her to make sure she didn't get lost, not like she ever had in the woods at home. Surely they would have caught up with her by now, she reasoned. Unless they don't care enough about you to follow.

These woods are unfamiliar to her, true friends would follow to make sure that she didn't get lost while riding about alone and upset. Especially Jack, she reasoned, would have come after her to keep her company or distract her from her troubles with a joke. But she was alone. There wasn't anyone out in the forest today, just her.

The red-headed princess turned her horse back toward the castle. She was done riding today. The light seemed to have gotten darker as she rode and some of the shadows seemed almost black. Her mood felt even sourer that when she started out, the riding didn't help.

Back at the castle, the celebrations continued like she hadn't left. The hook-handed thug Rapunzel had met still played the piano, the mime still pretended to go down non-existent stairs and Corona citizens still danced around the tiled sun in the center of the courtyard.

Her 'friends' had joined in the dancing, even Jack who was between Hiccup and Rapunzel. To normal eyes that would have made a strange gap in the circle of linked hands. They were all having fun in her absence. She stabled the gentle mare she borrowed and went into the castle; she didn't want to talk to anyone.


	18. Worst Fears

It was the last day of celebrations in the kingdom of Corona. A whole week had passed by since the lost princess, Rapunzel, had returned to her family. A week since the events that involved lanterns and kidnapping, redemptions and clean slates and new friendships, ransoms and battles high up in towers, followed by dancing and joy. Everything was as it should be, or so it seemed.

Jack Frost couldn't put a finger on it, but there was something going on with his friends. Rapunzel looked so tired, though she tried to hide it from everyone by putting on a happy face; Merida was snappy and irritable and kept making excuses to avoid the others; and Hiccup was distant and thoughtful, looking frequently at his foot and avoiding eye contact. Only Eugene seemed to not be affected by whatever it was that was going on; besides him.

The euphoria of being seen by more than one person at a time was diminished by his concern for his friends, who wouldn't talk to him about their problems. It frustrated him to not know what was going on with them.

Jack sighed as he flew around the castle in the late evening light. It was quieting down in the courtyard as the people of Corona headed home, either to turn in for the night or to get ready for the final feast held in Rapunzel's honor later tonight. He hadn't seen any of his friends all day, not even Eugene, who always seemed to be around. None of them had come down for the last day of dancing and he was worried.

Hiccup's window glowed softly with light and the winter spirit could see his friend inside. He tapped on the window and opened it letting in a gust of cold wind as he did. "Hey." He said.

"Hey." Hiccup responded. He was sitting on his bed staring at his foot, which was devoid of the prosthetic leg he usually always had on.

"Haven't seen you all day, how come you weren't celebrating?"

"Oh. I just didn't feel like it today. How was it?" Hiccup replied, distantly.

"Same as the rest of this week, I think. Smiles, laughs, dancing, etc."

"Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, as much as any other invisible being can without being walked through or ignored everywhere he went." Jack snapped. "It didn't help that the only people who could actually see me, or hear me, or even touch me weren't there today." He didn't know why he yelled, but it was frustrating to see his friend looking like this, talking like this. It was almost as if it wasn't the Hiccup he knew anymore.

"Oh, sorry." Was Hiccup's only reply. He had barely even looked at Jack since he came into the room, instead looking at the candles illuminating the room or his missing foot.

"Sorry?" Jack said, incredulous. That was all his friend had to say? No excuse or reason, or ironic comment? "Seriously, Hiccup. I haven't seen you or Merida or Rapunzel, or even Eugene today. You haven't been yourself lately and I want to know what is going on."

Hiccup looked at Jack now, a blank glance. He had circles under his eyes and his face looked pale. "I just haven't been feeling well. Bad dreams. It's nothing to worry about, Jack."

The spirit let out an exasperated groan, spikes of frost shooting off from his staff. "I am worrying, Hiccup. Why won't you talk to me? I can help with whatever's bothering you." The dusk shadows seemed to be darker, the candles' light barely illuminating the room.

Hiccup didn't respond, looking back at the dim candlelight as if his thoughts were far away. Jack's frustration and anger had caused the room's temperature to drop and he saw his friend shiver a little, but beyond that, he was ignored.

It was useless. The viking wasn't going to talk to him. Jack set his jaw and called for the winds to take him out of the room. What the icicles was wrong with his friend? Why wouldn't he even look at him? He flew up to Merida's window and saw her arguing with her family. Jack didn't even want to know what it was about this time; she'd been moody and argumentative to everyone over the last couple days. In the corner of the room, her three brothers were making faces and imitating their big sister.

Jack shook his head and went around to the royal apartments to find Rapunzel. He window was dark but for a single candle in the corner of the room with a golden pile of hair and a frying pan next to it. If he squinted, Jack could just see a pair of eyes and a nose hiding under the hair. A movement in the room next door caught the spirit's eyes and he noticed Eugene outside the door to Rapunzel's room. The former thief knocked a few times, then sighed and rested his forehead on the wall. Jack knocked on the window and Eugene looked up, a relieved expression on his face. He unlocked the window to let Jack in.

"She's been in there all day and won't come out." He gestured to the door. "I've been trying for hours to talk to her."

"I saw her hiding under her hair with a frying pan next to her." Jack said. He was confused about why she doing that.

Eugene groaned. "She's been saying that nobody gets to have her hair. That she will fight anybody that tries to take it."

Jack's eyebrows raised at that. "She thinks people want to cut her hair?"

Eugene nodded, rubbing his forehead. "When I first met her, she thought I had come to do that too. Her hair loses its power if it's cut. Gothel had told her stories about people who'd take her hair for their own selfish reasons all her life in order to keep her in the tower."

Jack let out a whistle. "Wow."

"I know right? Hey, do you think you can get in through her window and try to talk to her? The banquet should be starting soon."

Jack nodded and climbed back out the window. "I'll see what I can do." He let the wind pick him up and carry him over next door. The window was locked, however, and trying to jiggle it or force it open made the figure in the bundle shrink back. He let out a frustrated goanl and slammed his fist against the brick wall. He was useless. Here were all of his friends he had ever had, in one castle together and not talking to him or anybody else. And he couldn't seem to help them or cheer them up or even reach them. He hated this. He felt so weak and useless. Why was he even here? Why had the moon brought him back like this? Why, Why, Why?

"Hurt's doesn't it?" A voice came from behind him. "Not being able to reach the only people you care about."

Jack spun around to see a tall, slender man with pale skin and dark clothes floating on a cloud of what looked like black sand. "Who are you?"

"I'm like you, Jack Frost. A soul, cast out and forgotten. Left to wander this world alone, unseen. I know what it's like, to watch loved ones turn away from you and ignore you. It hurts."

"How do you know who I am?" He gripped his staff tightly, this strange man was unsettling. Something about him sent shivers of fear down his back.

"I know everything about you, Jack. Who you are, where you came from, your hopes." The man smiled a little. "And your fears. I know that you are afraid that more people will never see you. I know that you are afraid of losing your only friends, that one day they won't be able to see you."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I went through that exact same experience years ago. I know how you feel, but they aren't really your friends."

Jack gritted his teeth. Whoever this guy was, he was getting under his skin. "That's a lie."

"Is it?" The pale man gestured to the window behind him. "If they were truly your friends, wouldn't they talk to you about their problems? Confide in you?" He had been drifting closer and now floated next to Jack. "Why would true friends ignore you, or shut you out?"

His words mirrored Jacks own thoughts from earlier, when he was trying to find out where everyone was and pondering why they were all shutting him out. "But they can all see me."

"That doesn't mean anything if they don't want to be around you." He suddenly gathered up his cloud under him and sped off around the castle.

"Hey, wait." Jack followed the cloud and found the man floating in front of Hiccup's window. His friend hadn't moved since Jack had left.

"Your own best friend, refusing to even look at you. Won't even tell you why he didn't come down for the party." He said, gazing into the room, Hiccup didn't even seem to notice that they were there. "Lost in his own world of worries and fears, he doesn't even care that he's shutting you out."

"What's the matter with him?" Jack dared to ask.

"He's remembering all the mistakes he's ever made. The damage he's caused by being himself. He feels like he should have died in the fire that took his leg."

"But that's ridiculous!" Jack protested. "He's helped his village so much with his ideas, how can he think that?"

The man shook his head sadly and moved towards Merida's room. Jack followed and saw that she was alone in her room now, sprawled across her bed, weeping. "She's convinced that the whole world is against her. A fiery young girl who can't stand to be told what to do, restricted by rules. In her eyes, even you are trying to hold her back, stop her from being who she wants to be, do what she wants to do."

"But I'd never do that!" Jack glared at the man, who was he to know what's going on with his friends. Who was he to tell him that his own friends don't care about him? "She knows I always support her."

"But do you, Jack? Sometimes, you aren't there, are you? And what can you know what it's like to be controlled all day?" He turned away from the window and looked Jack in the eyes.

"She always used to talk to me before, though."

"But things have changed, haven't they?"

What was he saying? That Merida didn't think he was a good confidant anymore? That everyone was against her, even him? Sure, he was worried about her, when she injured herself and didn't want to rest and let it heal when people needed help, but in the end he didn't stop her from helping save Rapunzel and Eugene in the tower. Was she really mad at him for not being there when she woke up? Or had she tired of his company?

Jack looked into the room, where one of the only two people who had been able to see him until recently lay on her bed glaring at the ceiling. "She's one of my best friends, though." He said quietly. "You're wrong about-" He spun to face the dark stranger but found himself alone. "You're wrong about all of them."

But he wasn't so sure any more.

Pitch Black watched the boy as he found himself alone, objecting to Pitch's words. But he could see that the seeds of thought had been sown in Jack's mind. It would only be a matter of time, now before they would bear fruit and ruin any bond of friendship those four had left. They would never grow close now, never rise up and destroy him and everything he had worked for all these years, and thus the blasted Prophecy would never come true. And it would be all because of him that the words of the Far-seer would never come true.

The man smiled to himself, and called to the shadowy cloud under him to carry him back to the others.


	19. Strangest Night

**I just have to say, these next few chapters are some of my favorites. They were really fun to write. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.**

"Come on, Blondie, open up." Eugene banged on Rapunzel's door. "The dinner's almost about to start and you're expected to be there."

No answer. Of course not, she hasn't answered for a while. It made him even wonder if she was even still in there, though Jack did say that she was.

"There has to be another way in there." He muttered under his breath. But there was only this door and the window and if the window was locked and no key the only other way would be to break the door down or pick it open.

Eugene face palmed. "Of course. Why didn't I do that in the first place?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slender piece of metal.

He worked on the lock for a few minutes, his tongue sticking between his teeth, until, "Aha." The lock clicked and Eugene opened the door. Inside was very dark, except for the single candle on the floor, though there sign of the girl.

"Rapunzel?" Eugene called out as he entered the room. "Rapunzel, are you in he- ah!" Suddenly his legs were pulled from under him and a slender figure was holding a frying pan to his neck.

"I told you to stay away from my hair." Rapunzel said, her voice threatening.

"And I said that I don't want your hair, you know I don't." Eugene responded

"Then why are you still here?"

"Because the banquet's tonight and everyone is expecting you to be there." He said, trying to push the pan away from his neck. "And no one wants your hair and you've been hiding in your room all day."

Rapunzel looked startled for a second then blinked and took the pan away from her prone friend. "You don't want it?"

"No. You know this conversation is feeling very familiar." He stood up again.

"You're right." She blinked. "What am I doing? I'm sorry. I- I don't know what came over me. Of course you wouldn't want to cut it." There was something about the way she said that.

"Exactly, and there's been no harm done, though I will have a sore back later, and we should go down to the dinner now." Eugene put an arm around Rapunzel's shoulders and squeezed. He took the pan from her squinted at it in the light. "Is this the same pan you used on me before?"

"I kept it as a memento."

"It's a really effective weapon, if I do say so myself." Eugene flipped it in his hand, catching it on the handle. "They should give one to every soldier to use, along with their swords . And its great because when they're out in the woods, they can cook on it. A weapon and cooking utensil in one. Win win." Eugene swung it around with a 'hah'. Rapunzel gave a little laugh, but her eyes were still shadowed. She touched her hair and looked at it spread around the room.

"You ready to go down, Blondie?" Eugene asked, putting the pan down on the bed. "Everyone's waiting for you." She nodded. "You'll have to put your hair up so it doesn't get in the way; I can help you if you want."

Rapunzel gathered up a clump in her arms. "I'll, uh, be fine. I'll just get ready really quick and do something with it."

Eugene nodded. "I'll be waiting outside for you."

"Okay."

A few minutes later, Rapunzel emerged from her room. She had changed into a new dress, one that her parents had ordered made for her, and her hair had been wrapped around her waist, creating an unusual accessory to her outfit.

"Uh, Rapunzel?" Eugene raised an eyebrow. "You sure you don't want someone to braid it for you? Or something?"

She shook her head. "Nope. I'm good. I'd rather if no one touched my hair right now."

Eugene nodded and held his arm out for her to take and escorted her down the hall. He worried about her as they walked through the castle. Why had Rapunzel's original fear of the outside world taken hold of her so suddenly? So completely that she locked herself in her room with a frying pan? She should know by now that no one would cut it without her permission, especially now that she knew what the world was like outside of her tower and Gothel's influence. She should know that it was safe.

When they reached the banquet hall, the couple were introduced and led in. Eugene saw Rapunzel's parents sitting at the head of the room, and the look on their faces as their daughter walked down to sit with them was priceless. They loved her so much.

He was seated next to Rapunzel at the main table. The king made a speech about honoring the return of his daughter and thanked the visiting royalty for their participation. Eugene noticed Hiccup and Merida down the table, though both seemed to be not very happy to be there. That was strange. Then again, they had all been acting weird these last two days.

After the speech, food was brought out and Eugene had never tasted such food. It was all so rich and savory. All these delicacies, it was almost worth it giving up his life of crime for castle life.

A few courses later and he was starting to reach his limit on food. Rapunzel seemed to be smiling and laughing again, like the whole episode upstairs didn't happen. But he sensed a hesitation and tenseness in her. When the servants brought out the final course, dessert, Eugene glanced back at his other young friends. Merida was scowling at her plate and poking at her food while her brothers sitting next to her were playing with their plates. Eugene saw one stacking the food while another was making a catapult with a spoon and aiming at the third's mouth. Merida's mother gave them a sharp reprimand and they went back to eating normally, for a second. Those boys always brought a smile to Eugene, always up to their tricks and antics.

Down the table, Hiccup was pushing his food around. He seemed really depressed, not looking up at the other vikings sitting around him. Eugene wondered what could be getting him down.

There was one face Eugene hadn't seen come down yet, and that was Jack's. Where was the winter spirit? Come to think of it, he never did come back after he went to see if Rapunzel's window was open._ I wonder where he got off to._ Eugene thought to himself.

That night, after the banquet had ended and everyone turned in for the night, Eugene went walking along the castle walls to see if he could find Jack. Looking at the night sky, he couldn't see the spirit flying among the stars, but he kept walking in case Jack came to him.

He was walking around a corner when he felt a rush of cold from ahead and heard footsteps. "Jack?" He called. There was no one weren't even guards in sight along this stretch of wall.

"Come on, Jack. I know you're there. Stop playing games." Eugene called. "Where did you go, earlier? We missed you at the banquet."

A shadow slipping behind the guardhouse caught his attention.

"There you are." He went over and still found himself alone. "What are you playing at, Jack?" He turned around and bumped into something huge and hairy. "Okay, you are not Jack." Eugene backpedaled. He looked behind him and saw another one of the huge, white, hairy creatures. This one was holding at potato sack. What was going on?

Eugene stood between the two beasts and they started coming closer. For some reason they meant to take him, which was almost as bizarre as fighting a sword wielding horse with a frying pan, and that wasn't even the strangest thing he's ever done, either.

Focus. Right now, he needed an escape plan. He needed to get off this wall and maybe inside where he could more easily avoid these things, if they chose to follow him.

He edged closer to the edge of the wall and looked down. He was in luck, there was an awning close by, he just needed to get closer to Yeti-thing number one in order to do jump. He heard something move behind him and ducked as the second creature tried to grab him, then he rushed forward until he was almost in grabbing distance of the other one. He backed up to the edge of the wall, keeping an eye on both of the things as he did. Then he saluted them both and fell backwards. The look on the strange creature's faces was hysterical as he fell twenty or thirty feet to the ground below. He landed with a bounce on the awning and slid off. Looking up he saw the things looking down from the wall and muttering something in gargled gibberish.

"Ha!" Eugene shouted up at them and ran to the castle doors. The guards knew him by sight now and let him in without a word. Inside, castle servants were still going about their business like nothing was wrong. Eugene made it to his rooms and let out a sigh of relief. Whatever had happened up there on the roof couldn't make it inside, could it? Alarms would be raised.

"Thought you'd given us the slip, mate?" A voice said from the dark corner of his room.

Eugene groaned. "Oh, come on. What do you want?" He peered into the darkness, but could only see a figure leaning against the wall.

"Only want to have a chat with yeh. Me an' some others." The shadows shifted and shaped into a tall silhouette, taller than anyone Eugene had met, with ears. "I'll need you to come with me."

"Who are you?" Eugene asked, a little freaked out by the whole experience. First big white ape thingys try to grab him and now something with a weird accent was in his room wanting to talk. "What are you?"

Whoever it was stepped into the moonlight and Eugene saw the largest, scariest,… rabbit?... he'd ever seen, standing in his room, with boomerangs in his hands. He stepped closer and looked Eugene in the eye, bending down as he did.

"I'm the Easter Bunny." He said quietly.

Something moved behind Eugene and the next thing he knew was darkness.


	20. Northern Assignment

**This one was really fun to do, and it helps clears things up. Enjoy.**

Eugene "Flynn Rider" Fitzherbert had been shoved into a sack. Somehow one of those big furry creatures had snuck up behind him while he was talking and bagged him. The bag stunk of animal. What was the Easter Bunny – or whatever that thing was - doing in his room? Eugene hadn't believed in the Easter Bunny in a long time, since he was a kid, in fact, and though the being in his room was rabbit-like in a matter of fashion, it didn't look anything like the Easter Bunny he had imagined.

He struggled in the sack and called out for help and for them to let him go, though he knew that wouldn't work. It never worked that way, but struggling and fighting was a better than not doing anything at all. Sounds of garbled mumbles and the accented voice of the "Easter Bunny" could be heard through the fabric, but Eugene couldn't hear what was said.

The floor beneath him disappeared as the bag was lifted up and thrown. Eugene let out a cry of protest and braced himself for impact, but instead felt like he was tumbling down a tube.

Where was there a tube in his room? He wondered. What was going on? He was pretty freaked out about the whole thing. Seconds later he stopped tumbling and landed hard on the floor.

"Ow." He groaned.

The opening of the bag was loose and he peered out at a pair of red triangle creatures with legs, big ears and bells on top. "What the-" He murmured in confusion. The little elfish things had goofy smiles on their faces and scrambled away as he sat up.

The next thing he saw was a large man with a long white beard, a smallish golden colored man standing next to him, and on the other side floating above the ground, a bluish-green bird woman talking to a bunch of hummingbirds.

"There he is." The big man said stepping toward him with his arms open. "Flynn Rider."

_I've got to be dreaming._ Eugene thought. Where was he? What was he doing here? How did he get here? And who were these people? "Uhhh." He managed to say.

A pair of furry hand grabbed him and lifted him onto his feet. "Whoa. Whoa whoa whoa there. Hands off."

"Hope the yeti's treated you well." The large man said as Eugene was put down.

"Yeti's?" He asked. Yeti? Like in the stories? The big white snowy creatures of myths? Like the abominable snowman? That was what kidnapped him?

"Yes. My helpers. They treated you well, yes?"

Eugene raised his eyebrows in incredulity. "Oh sure. I enjoy being shoved into a sack and kidnapped to who-knows-where."

"Oh good." The man laughed. "That was my idea."

_You've got to be kidding me._ Eugene thought.

The men gestured to the side where the rabbit figure Eugene had met a moment ago lounged against a pillar inspecting his nails casually. "You know Bunny, obviously." He introduced.

"Sort of." Eugene replied.

"And the Tooth Fairy." He gestured to the woman in blue and green feathers who came closer and hovered in front of him.

"Hello, Eugene. I've heard a lot about you. You've always kept such good care of your teeth."

"My what?"

"Open up. Are you still taking such good care of them." She touched his jaw and forced it open, looking into his mouth. "Aw. Look girls, you don't see shining teeth like this very often." The small mini versions of herself hovered around her and chirped to each other excitedly looking into his mouth as well. Eugene just stared at her awkwardly, not sure what to make of the invasion. "Okay girls, that's enough. Let's not disgrace the uniform." The woman then flitted off to the side where she had been floating before.

"And the Sandman." The man continued, gesturing to the short man standing- no, floating, next to him. "Sandy? Sandy?" The golden man had fallen asleep it seemed, which was ironic given that he was the one in charge of sleeping and dreams, if Eugene remember his fairy tales right. "Wake up." The sandman shook himself awake and landed on the floor.

"And I, of course, am Santa Clause." He finished gesturing to himself. "But I'm sure you knew that."

"Uh, no, actually." Eugene pinched himself to be sure he was awake. "I hadn't guessed that. Heck, I'm really not sure why I'm even here. I haven't believed in any of you in years."

"Oh, we know that, mate." The Easter Bunny said from where he stood. "But we didn't have much choice bringing you in, now did we."

"Can someone tell me why I'm here, then?" Eugene folded his arms. The sandman raised his hand and a string of symbols above his head started appearing in rapid order. "Whoa. I don't think that's helping any." This was definitely shaping up to be the weirdest thing that's ever happened to him. And that's seriously saying something. Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Sandman, Santa Clause? "I'm not on the naughty list, am I?"

St. Nick laughed. "On naughty list? You're near top. But because of recent circumstances we're wiping clean the slate."

"Oh, well that's a relief. Now, seriously, why am I here?" Wherever 'here' was.

"We need your help, Flynn." Santa said solemnly.

"Eugene."

What?"

"I go by Eugene now. New leaf, new life and all."

"Eugene, then." Santa gestured at the group. "We have brought you here to ask you a favor."

Eugene frowned. "What kind of favor?"

"Come with me." He turned at led the way to a door in the back of the room they were in. It led to a darker, smaller room. In the center of the room stood a pedestal holding a round crystal. One of the yeti's had followed, along with the other three, and shut the door behind them. St. Nick touched the crystal and an image appeared above it.

"A time long ago, a prophecy was told of four children, who would grow up and defeat our enemies." Santa said.

The former thief stared in awe at the images the crystal showed. Pictures flickered between the faces of four babies, who then morphed into children, teenagers, and then young adults. Four faces that he recognized.

"The prophecy is bit vague, but it says that one day they would meet and become teammates and through them, those whom we have been fighting would be destroyed." The crystal ball now showed four more faces; a pale man with black hair and hard eye; a scarred, muscular man who resembled a bear; a grizzled old viking with a sneer that Eugene recognized from that night's banquet as one of the guests; and finally:

"Gothel." Eugene swore. The evil witch who had kidnapped Rapunzel when she was a baby.

"That is correct." St. Nick said solemnly. "Gothel, Mor'du, Mildew, and Pitch Black. They believe in a world different from the one we live in. The world that the guardians and myself have sought to protect."

Eugene saw darkness and burning villages. Miserable people walking with their heads down, shivering in rags. The four villains in luxury and power. It made him feel queasy.

The crystal pictures changed and Eugene saw Gothel stealing away a baby Rapunzel in the night; Pitch Black watching as a young, brown haired boy, who Eugene vaguely recognized as Jack, fell into a frozen lake, shock and horror in the eyes of a young girl standing nearby on skates; the grizzled old viking confronting a chagrined young Hiccup in front of a gathering of other vikings; the large bear man roaring in the face of a terrified Merida who was pinned to the ground.

They went back and showed Eugene Jack pulling his sister away from thin, cracking ice at the risk of his own life; Merida shooting arrows with deadly accuracy and fighting her own father with a sword; Rapunzel singing with her glowing hair and easing the wrinkles and grey hair of mother Gothel; Hiccup pointing and directing others who looked to him for guidance, crowds cheering him and his father looking proudly down at him.

"They did what they could," The Tooth Fairy, spoke up now. "in order to stop the children from realizing their full potential."

"With varying degrees of success." Added the Easter Bunny.

Tooth nodded. "Hiccup Haddock Harris the third was destined to become a leader. His difference from the rest of his village taught him to become clever and innovative. Once he realized that things could be changed, he showed others and eventually they began to listen to him and follow him. Mildew tried very hard to keep the village against him, but failed.

"Eighteen years ago, Jackson Overland was skating with his sister when they found themselves on thin ice. Pitch, the boogeyman, had weakened it and, in order to save his sister, Jack sacrificed himself and to get her to safety at the cost of his own life. The moon intervened and brought him back as the Jack Frost you know. He's supposed to be a protector, a guardian of sorts." Bunny explained.

"Mor'du was in charge of keeping Merida DunBroch from being strong and brave. Her role is the warrior. Mor'du started as a prince of a neighboring kingdom but gave his soul for the strength of a bear." St. Nick told Eugene, he chuckled. "Being a bear had strange effect on Mor'du and he forgot about his goal for a time. We had thought him defeated earlier this summer, but it looks like we were wrong."

"And Rapunzel Corona, the healer, was kidnapped by Gothel to keep her gift away from everyone else." Tooth finished. "Isolation, she thought would be the best way to keep her charge under control, but she hadn't counted on the lanterns and the child's yearning to know. Or you, Eugene." She smiled.

Eugene stood there the whole time, speechless, listening to the Guardians talk. All this information at once was overwhelming and he didn't know what to do. Jack was by all means dead? There was a group of villains who were conspiring against these four people, little more than kids who were destined to save the world? He noticed the others in the room were staring at him, waiting for his reaction.

"I need to sit down. Absorb all this information." He said quietly. He was getting a headache. Santa gestured behind him to a bench which Eugene took gratefully. "This is a lot of info. What do you want from me?" He looked up.

"We believe that Pitch has infected the dreams of your friends with nightmares. Changing their thinking. Trapping them in their own fears." St. Nicholas told him.

That would explain the odd behavior from Hiccup, Merida, and Rapunzel. He was beginning to think that they were all just crazy and bipolar.

The big man continued. "Pitch is trying to poison their minds and prevent them from becoming close. We want you to restore their friendship before it's too late. They must become a team for the prophecy to be fulfilled."

Okay, so basically just do what he and Jack had been trying to do already these last couple of days. Great. In other words he had to play therapy to a bunch of teenagers under the influence of the boogeyman because Santa Clause, the Tooth fairy and the Easter Bunny asked him to. Yep, this would definitely be the strangest thing he's done. If he succeeded, that is. And from what the Guardians here were telling him, it's pretty important that he did.

"What will you give me if I succeed?" He asked. It never hurt to look for personal profit.

"I'll give you ride on sleigh." Nick offered.

Eugene wasn't impressed.

"Tour of factory?"

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"How about I don't shove this up your backside?" Bunny threatened, holding a boomerang in front of him.

"Bunny!" Tooth reprimanded.

"What do you want, Eugene?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, I just wanted to see what you'd offer. This is a pretty important job, you know."

Santa laughed, his belly jiggling. "Do you want to be on naughty list?"

"Hey, I thought the slate was being wiped clean."

Nick spread his arms and shrugged.

"Okay, okay. I'll do it." He told them. It was worth a try.

"Great!" the jolly red man's eyes lit up.

"Just one question."

"What is it?"

"What happens if I fail? If they won't become friends again?"

There was a shadow in Nicholas St. North's eyes as he said in a low voice. "Eternal winter will come and fear will reign."

Eugene's arms rose in goose bumps and he shivered.

North suddenly stood up and clapped his hands. Lights illuminated the room, and Eugene winced from the sudden brightness. "Now, we must get you back. Is late. Phil here will escort you home." He gestured to the yeti standing by the door. "In meantime, remember what we have told you, and tell no one what you have seen. Clear?"

Eugene nodded and crossed his chest in promise. Who would believe him anyway? His job was clear, and it was already one he was trying to deal with in the first place. Besides, how often did someone like him get asked to do something by the heroes of every child's favorite holiday or event?

"Sandy, if you would?" North asked. Eugene saw the small, silent, golden man nod and clap his hands and suddenly Eugene felt very, very tired. The bench he was sitting on looked like a very good place for a nap.


	21. Friendship Therapy

"It was all a dream." Eugene said, sitting up in bed. It was still dark outside. When did he go to bed? Must have been after the banquet. It was odd, though. Did he really dream about the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause? He hadn't thought about those childhood fantasies since before he left the orphanage all those years ago.

It was too warm in the room, and his head felt fuzzy from sleep. Eugene got up to open the window and let in a breeze. A shimmering in his peripheral vision caught his eye and he noticed one of the castle towers had an icy sheen to it. A figure sat at the very top of the tower, at the highest point. Jack.

_So that's where he went_, Eugene thought. He still didn't know why Jack hadn't come to the banquet, or hadn't helped Eugene convince Rapunzel to come out of her room.

Suddenly a flash of memory hit him and he saw a brown-haired Jack smiling and laughing on a frozen pond, then reaching out a shepherd's crook to pull a young girl off of cracking ice, then falling into water himself. Jack had sacrificed himself for his sister, Eugene remembered.

How did he know that? It was from the dream, but why would he dream something like that.

Unless it wasn't a dream.

If it was true, then was Jack essentially dead? Brought back by the moon to be a spirit, the Easter Bunny said. He saw other flashes of memory, of Hiccup and Merida and baby Rapunzel being stolen in the night. Of the big bear, and the pale man in black, and golden hair restoring the youth of a witch, and a grump viking pointing a finger in accusation.

Eugene put a hand to his head; it was still a lot of information to process. He was going to believe the dream; that was too much information he would never have made up himself, even if he ate something funky. But then, that meant that Santa Clause, St. Nicholas himself, had asked Eugene to do something for him. _Restore their friendship before it's too late._

He had to get them over whatever was bothering them before they left. Were they leaving tomorrow or the day after? He tried to remember. The day after; Prince Charming, King Eric, and King Phillip and their parties were leaving tomorrow. That meant he had a day to do what he could.

Why him?

Eugene paced around his room, thinking about how he could get them all together. That was the key to it all, he felt. They just all needed to be in the same place without distraction so they could talk and let go of their troubles for a time. A place secluded in a hidden part of the forest, one might say. He smiled. He would need help to get everyone there, of course, but he had just the ruffians in mind.

The next morning dawned to a bright day. Eugene had spent the rest of the night making preparations. The thugs from the Snuggly Duckling were more than willing to help him with his scheme. He had to get all four of his friends up to the tower without letting Mildew see, in case he warned those others. He also, had to somehow convince everyone to cooperate. That's where the gang of ruffians came in.

The first was Jack. It wasn't hard to get onto the roof of the castle. Flynn Rider had only done it a week ago when he stole the crown that set off a whole chain of events that had led him to where he was now. Jack was still sitting on the tower Eugene had seen from his room. At least, he thought, it wasn't the highest of the towers. Ice had covered most of the upper portion of the spire, making it sparkle in the light, though it looked like it was starting to melt in the summer morning sun. Something must really be bugging him.

Rope and grapple in hand, Eugene strung a line from the roof to the tower and started making his way across open space. It was a long drop, and no short distance to cross, he noted as he swung his way across, gripping the rope hand over hand. "The things I do for you people." He grumbled.

Finally he was across and safe on the roof of the tower. Jack Frost looked down from where he had been sitting; not only at the top of the spire, but balancing on the crook of his staff as well. It made Eugene dizzy just looking at him.

"Hey there." He said, casually, breathing heavily.

"Why did you come up here?" Jack asked, spinning down the spire to the roof.

"Wanted… to ask for… your help?" Eugene panted. "Can I… meet you… at Rapunzel's tower… at noon?"

Jack raised an eyebrow. "You came all the way up here to ask me that?"

"Well… yeah." Eugene said. "It would have been easier if you weren't so far up or hard to get to, but yeah."

The winter spirit frowned, his brow wrinkling. Then he smiled, teeth flashing. "Okay." He said. "I'll meet you there. What's going on?"

Eugene winked. "You'll see." He picked up the grapple hook, wrapped his wrist around the rope and put his foot on the hook, then stepped off the roof, leaving the surprised spirit behind.

He free fell for a few seconds until the rope grew taut and he swung toward the wall of the castle. He braced his feet against the impact and used his momentum to run along the wall to the window he had opened just for that purpose. Getting down was always easier than getting up.

His next stop was Hiccup's suit. He knocked and entered the room and saw the young viking sitting by the window, his fake foot not on his leg anymore.

It looked weird to see a leg that just ended, right below the knee, with nothing there. _Pitch really got to him. _Eugene thought to himself. Hiccup barely looked like the young man he had first met with that distant expression on his haggard face.

"Hey, so I need your help with something." Eugene said walking over to put a hand on the depressed viking's shoulders. Hiccup started and looked up with a blank expression.

"With what?" He asked.

"You remember Rapunzel's tower, right? I need help getting something from there for Rapunzel. A little surprise for her. I was wondering if you would be willing to help me."

Hiccup shook his head. "I don't know why you'd ask me, there are probably better people to help you."

"Nope. I need someone I could trust to help me. It's important that I surprise her, and anyone else would probably blab."

"I'm leaving tomorrow." Hiccup said, "I need to start packing and getting ready."

"I don't see you getting ready. Come on. That can wait."

Hiccup said nothing. Eugene was getting frustrated. This guy was being a pain. Depressed people were always hard to get through to.

"What's going on with you? I may not have known you for very long, but even your best friend can see that something's wrong. Get over yourself and help me for Pete's sake."

Something changed in Hiccup's eyes and he looked at Eugene. "Why should I bother? Huh?" He gestured at his leg. "Look at me, I'm useless. For years I was the outcast of my village, and for good reason. I'm not like them. I should have died in that fire."

Eugene stood there for a moment and looked at him. That was what bothered him? Something that happened in the past was eating at this guy? "Useless?" He asked incredulous. "Don't you remember that night last week? How you helped Merida when she twisted her ankle? If it wasn't for you she'd have been kidnapped by the brothers and probably been worse off than you were. And remember how you knocked Gothel out? And weren't you telling me about some of the innovations you've brought to your village that improved living there?"

Hiccup frowned.  
"And don't forget what you have done by being Jack's friend all these years, when he was otherwise alone." Eugene said softly, thinking about the young boy that was Jack Frost falling into the lake. How must it feel to be unseen by everyone, no matter how hard you try? What kind of existence is that?

"You're not useless. You're a leader." He continued. He needed to get through to Hiccup, and fast, before noon.

"Toothless." Hiccup whispered. His eyes became brighter and Eugene saw a change in the viking's bearing. He looked at the other man. "I have done some important things in my life."

"Exactly." Eugene inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. "Now, let's go. I still need to get that thing from the tower." He noticed Hiccup's metal leg on the floor beside the bed and retrieved it for the viking.

Hiccup hesitated, then put it on. He looked much better with it on, Eugene decided. It just fit. "Let me just get ready. I'll meet you downstairs." Hiccup said.

Eugene nodded and went out into the hall. He passed the red-headed triplets racing down the corridor and asked them a favor. They nodded and smiled mischievously then ran off. Next he found the hook-handed thug, who had been given a room in the castle in exchange for performing during the celebration.

"Everything set?" He asked.

The thug winked and rubbed his hook along the side of his nose. "Don't worry. We've got everything prepared."

"Great." Eugene slapped the man on the back and continued along his way. He realized that he had never even learned the guy's name. He just thought of him as Hookhand, or the piano player, or head thug. He'll have to learn his name later.

He was almost to the front hall when he saw the triplets again. One of them was carrying a carved bow.

"Yeh, boys get back here wi' m' bow." Merida screeched as she raced after.

Eugene met Hiccup by the entrance to the stables. Maximus and a roan gelding stood saddled and ready to go. The former breathed a sigh of relief, for all he knew Hiccup could have decided not to come.

"Ready?" Hiccup asked, mounting the gelding. "Merida came racing by a second ago, chasing a guy on a horse. I think he had her bow."

"Yep. Eugene said simply and led the way to the forest.

Eugene didn't get lost this time. He didn't think he'd ever forget the way to the hidden grove. The tower looked just like when he first saw it. Cliffs rose on all sides, with a waterfall leading into a stream winding its way around a tall spire, ivy climbing up the stone. It was breathtakingly beautiful. He and Maximus took a second to admire the scene before heading up.

Eugene nodded. "Lived her whole life up there. Come on." He started up the stairs to the top of the tower.

It looked like Gunter, the interior designer ruffian, had decided to do a little redecoration. It had been cleaned up from the fight with Gothel and looked comfortable and festive with food, probably made by Attila, laid out on the table. Hiccup stopped in surprise when they reached the top. Merida was standing in the center of the room, hands on hips, facing the thug with the ugly nose and winged helmet, another one Eugene didn't know by name.

"Hiccup?" Merida noticed them coming up. "Eugene? Wha' are yeugh two doing here? This guy stole m' bow and once I get my hands on it-"

The guy threw the bow to Eugene. "Here you go. Good luck."

"Thanks." Eugene clapped the guy on the back as he left.

"Wha' is all this? Eugene?" Merida demanded.

"Yeah, what is going on?" Hiccup asked, stepping further into the tower. "You said you need my help with something."

"I lied." Eugene said. He threw the bow to Merida. "Here you go. I needed both of you to come here."

A sudden gust of wind blew through the open shutters and a second later Jack Frost entered. He stopped in surprise at the scene before him and looked questioningly at Eugene. "Did I miss something?" He asked.

Eugene smirked and held up a finger to tell them to wait as voices floated up from down the stairwell.

"Why are we here? There's nothing here for me now." Rapunzel's voice said.

The gruff voice of the hook handed piano player answered her. "Just go on up. You'll see."

"Ok?"

A few moments later she came up into the tower room and saw the changes and the people in the room.

"Surprise!" Eugene said. "Now come in, come in. Here, sit down, all of you. You too, Jack." He gestured to the fireplace where all the chairs in the tower had been gathered and sat in a row. Jack sat down in a green armchair, which had already been sitting by the fireplace. Merida sat down in a small wooden rocking chair, frowning. Hiccup and Rapunzel took the two wooden dining chairs that had been sitting next to the table before. Eugene frowned at the mismatched chairs. "Sorry. Best I could do."

"What are we doing here, Eugene?" Rapunzel asked.

"Well. Since you three are leaving tomorrow, I thought it would be a good idea for a farewell party. A last chance to hang out as friends, you could say, before we all go our separate ways. I also thought it was a good excuse to get out the castle; it gets stuffy there, you know?"

"We've been partying for the past week." Merida said, standing up. "Ay'hm ready to go home." She started toward the trapdoor.

Eugene clicked his fingers and Hookhand, who had followed Rapunzel up the stairs, moved the stone back into place, and stood on top of it. Eugene walked over to the window, closed the blinds and locked them in place. It was darker, now, in the tower, but a skylight and a couple dozen candles lit up the space enough.

"I don't think so, Curly." Eugene said. "There's a slight ulterior motive for getting you all here in this tower. And that's because you all have been acting like children these past few days, even you Jack; pouting all night on that spire. None of us are leaving this tower until we've worked out all your issues."

"What? Yeur insane." Merida objected.

Are you kidding me?" Jack looked surprise. "I was not pouting."

"I don't know why you're bothering. Why should you care." Hiccup mumbled

"Is this really necessary, Eugene?" Rapunzel came up and put a hand on his arm. He hair had been wrapped around her waist instead of being braided by those young sisters.

"Yes." He said, gently. "This is an intervention. Even my pal here, agrees that you've all been acting weird." Hookhand nodded.

Merida grumbled to herself and plopped back in her chair "I cannae believe this."

"Jack, can I have a word with you, privately?" Eugene asked. Jack nodded and the two of them went up the stairs to Rapunzel's room. "You've talked to Pitch, haven't you?" He said when they were alone.

"Who what?" Jack said, leaning against the wall.

Eugene checked his memory for the images he had seen of the one they called Pitch Black. "Sinister looking man. Pale, black clothes, tall. Infects dreams, the works. Truthfully I don't know a lot about him. But you've talked to him last night, didn't you? That's why you never came back." The look on the spirit's face was enough to tell him so.

"He never gave me a name." Jack asked. "He's called Pitch Black? The Boogeyman? How do you know about him?"

"What did he say to you?"

"That he was like me, invisible and forgotten. That no one really cared about me, that's why they weren't talking to me. Stuff like that." His voice was quiet.

He really believed what Pitch had said then, Eugene realized. That's why Jack never came to the banquet. That's why he was up on the tower.

"You know that's not true, right?" Eugene ruffled his hair. "Who couldn't care about the mischievous spirit of the north wind?" He became serious again. "I need your help getting through to the others. Apparently Pitch has been infecting everyone's dreams. Messing with their thoughts. That's why they're acting that way."

"How do you know all this?" Jack reached up to fix his hair.

Eugene shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Did he tell you anything else? Anything that could help us with those three." He peered out the curtain to the main room below. Merida was lounging sideways in the big armchair, twanging her empty bow at the hook handed thug, pretending to shoot him with arrows. It was a good thing she hadn't brought her quiver. Hiccup was wandering around the room, exploring the layout of the small living area. Rapunzel was sitting in one of the chairs nervously fingering her hair belt.

Jack came over to look out, too. "He said that he knew our fears, that he knew everything about me." He pointed down. "He said that Hiccup was remembering all the mistakes he made in his past. That he had a lot of self-doubt in him. But Hiccup is so confident, normally. He's changed in the years I've known him from an insecure kid to a respected leader in Berk."

Eugene rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I see."

Jack pointed to Merida. "He told me that she was convinced the world was against her. That I was holding her back from what she wanted to do, like on the lake when Hiccup was taken and she wanted to go back to help him." He wrapped his arms around himself. "She doesn't think that anyone understands her. She always used to talk to me about her problems, though."

"That's Pitch talking, Jack." Eugene reassured. "I'm sure normally she doesn't think that that."

Jack nodded, solemnly. "He didn't tell me what was going on with Rapunzel."

"I know that part. I think in her mind the things that Gothel had told her growing up about the world outside have become truths that she can't shake. She believes that people will stop at nothing to take her hair and use it for themselves."

"Oh."

"That's why I brought you all to the tower. She needs to separate what she's been told with what's real."

Jack nodded.

"Eugene?" Rapunzel called. While they were talking, she had walked up to the base of the stairs and stood there now. "What are you guys doing?"

"Can we go now?" Merida asked, still playing with her bow.

"I don't really appreciate being tricked into going places." Hiccup added.

Eugene walked down the stairs. "No." He said. He took Rapunzel's hand as he reached the bottom. "Rapunzel, dear, How many times did your mother tell you that the world was an awful place, full of poison ivy, quicksand, cannibals, or plagues?"

"A-a lot. Almost every time I asked to go outside." She said.

"And since you've left this tower, has anything you've seen confirmed her words?"

Rapunzel frowned. "Well, no. But-"

Eugene waved a hand. "Have you seen anything that suggests that there were large bugs or men with pointed teeth or that Ruffians and thugs were actually things to be feared?"

"No, I guess not. What are you trying to get at?"

"And hasn't everyone you've met at the castle been anything more than courteous, polite, and kind to you?" Eugene continued on, ignoring her question. Merida and Hiccup were watching, curious. Jack had jumped the railing and landed on the circular rug without a sound, he leaned on his staff as he watched Eugene.

"Of course." Rapunzel said.

"Then why are you so scared?" He got to the point. "Nobody would ever touch your hair or cut it without your permission. Those girls are always so happy to braid it for you and play with it. People all over the kingdom would come and ask you for help with your power if you were willing share your gift, but they wouldn't dare think to force it. There are guards and friends at every corner who would jump forward to stop anybody who sought to take your hair for themselves, if any such person existed, which frankly I seriously doubt."

"If anyone tried to mess with my hair, Ay'd shoot them wi' m' bow." Merida chimed in.

Rapunzel just stood there, looking up at Eugene as the reason behind his lecture reached her.

"You're fears are just residue from what happened here." He spun her around to look at the tower. "It's all over. Gothel will never use you again. And no one else for that matter. You've found your rightful family; your place in a whole kingdom that has loved you from the moment you were born."

She put a hand up to her mouth and sank to the ground. Tears were forming in her eyes. Soon she was sobbing and Eugene wrapped her in a hug. They held that position for a while, Eugene consoling the traumatic girl.

"It wasn't tha' bad." Merida mumbled quietly from her chair. Jack heard and turned to look at her.

"What was that?" He asked.

"All this worry about hair, who cares? And at least she's free now, not locked up and controlled in e'ry aspect of her life."

"No one's trying to control you, Merida. And you weren't betrayed by the only person you trusted in the world like she was." Jack snapped.

"Look who's talking." Merida sat upright in the chair.

Jack walked toward her until he was looking down at her. "If you're still upset at me not checking up on you after Hiccup was kidnapped, I apologized. It was a week ago, and it all turned out fine."

"It would 'ave turned out better if yeugh hadn't pulled me away from the fight in th' first place. Ay could've taken them." She stood up so they were face to face.

"You were injured." Jack countered. "Were you just going to throw away Hiccup's sacrifice because you wanted to play hero?"

"Neugh, but it was my fault that he was kidnapped in the first place."

Hiccup had walked over as they were talking. "No it wasn't. It was my fault. I hadn't been fast enough. And I already failed at stopping Rapunzel from going with Gothel, why not add getting kidnapped to the list. At least I helped with something."

Merida glared at Hiccup. "At least yeugh family was happy to see you when we got back. I was sent to bed and reprimanded aboot the dangers of unfamiliar forests."

"They were happy to see you. Can't you see that they love you and want to protect you, especially after what happened? For years I was the outcast of the entire island. My father had to bribe villagers to babysit me while everyone else went on raids. Your parents are proud of you in their own way." At least Hiccup wasn't dismal and depressed, Eugene thought, listening in as he comforted the girl he loved.

"Yeugh don't understand what it's like for me." Merida was adamant.

"Oh, boo hoo. My parents won't let me out of their sights. My dad was afraid I'll mess up everything." Jack interjected. "It must be so hard having people see you and care what you get up to." Ice was starting to spread from his staff.

Everyone was silent for a moment.

"You're not invisible anymore, Jack." Hiccup said, eventually. "Not completely any more, and especially not now."

_ If that was true…_ Jack wondered, "Then why haven't you been talking to me recently? I thought you didn't want me around anymore."

Merida looked at him. Was that true? Did Jack feel left out because she'd been pushing him away? But he couldn't relate to what she was going through. But he was always an easy confidant before…

Hiccup looked away. "No, it's not that. I'm just a failure at everything. All those problems caused in my village because of my mistakes. My leg. What happened in the forest. I'm never going to be the chieftain my father is, why should I even bother?"

"But you know that's not true. I've seen how Berk has changed because of you. It's better off now than it ever was before."

Hiccup shrugged.

"I believe you will be a great chieftain, someday." Rapunzel said, from her position on the floor. She seemed to have calmed down some as they talked, her face was red and puffy, but otherwise she seemed composed.

"Thank you." Hiccup smiled.

Eugene helped her up and she started to unwrap her hair from her waist. "It was starting to bother me." She explained. Soon her hair was loose once more, pooled around her feet and she looked more relaxed and comfortable, if still a little shy.

Eugene smiled at the group. It wasn't much, but something had changed between them already. Some of the misunderstandings resolved, talking, reassuring; that was what they really needed the most. All they needed now was to get a chance to forget about their worries for a little while.

"Who want to play a game." He suggested. "And don't worry about the time, I've already talk to your families and they know we're out here for the day."

The others shuffled their feet, reluctant, until Eugene gave Jack a look, who then piped up that that sounded like a good idea. Merida was the most reluctant, but after a few rounds of the card game Eugene had brought up and enough encouraging, she joined in.

After the card game, came a board game, then another card game. Hookhand left the stone trapdoor and brought over food and joined in. Soon they were joking and teasing as if nothing had been wrong. Even Merida and Hiccup loosened up to the point where they were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Something was happening. Pitch could feel a change occurring in the fears of the four. He was losing his hold on their thoughts, but how could that be? Someone must be interfering, someone powerful enough to break through the icy cold grip that is fear. Were the guardians meddling again?

He sat on the stone bench in his lair, staring at a large, metal wrought globe with flickering lights sprinkling the surfaces that resembled the continents of the world. He was musing over the prophecy; its two parts and their plan. All that they had been working for the last twenty years was resting on whether or not he would succeed in keeping those brats apart. They were going their individual ways tomorrow; he just needed to hold on to them until then.

Footsteps echoed through the cavernous area, and Gothel stepped in front of him. Pitch had let her stay here since the incident in the tower, but she'll have to go somewhere else soon. Company is only good sometimes, and this place was getting crowded, what with the bear staying as well.

"The viking is here." She said, hands on hips. "And Mor'du is back from hunting."

"With food, I assume." Pitch didn't bother looking at her. "Carcasses of once living creatures turned to sustenance for the mortal body, their life cut short by the brute power of a predator."

"Oh, stop being dramatic. He brought back herbs as well."

The boogeyman didn't say anything for a moment, then sighed and turned to the witch. "They've been interfering again."

"They have?" Gothel looked surprised. "How?"

"I'm not sure yet."

Mildew walked in then, a smug expression on his face, Mor'du, human now, followed on silent feet.

"One more day, then we're home free." The old viking cackled. "Just one more day."

Pitch looked sharply at him. "It's not over until they are away from each other. Separated for good. We can't risk them interfering with all our hard work."

"Oh what hard work?" Grumbled the viking. "All we've done is waited and watched over these brats their whole life."

"Something at which we've all failed at, it seems." Gothel interjected.

"Not yet." Pitch said quietly. "We've still got a chance. The key to all of this is almost of age. A year from now and this will all be over." He turned to Mildew. "Tomorrow I need you to make sure that the four aren't on good terms still when they leave. Mor'du, Gothel, you two visit the oracle. Double check the prophecy and make sure to find out anything else that will cause a hitch in our plans."

"Very well." Gothel nodded. "And what will you do?"

Pitch smiled. "I have a visit with some old friends to make."


	22. Portside Farewells

**Almost done. Only one more chapter to post and then this fanfiction will be done. I hope you have enjoyed this. I'll be starting writing the sequel soon.**

"It's time to depart dear. Are ye ready?" King Fergus of the Scottish Highlands poked his head into Merida's room.

"Jus' about, da." The red head answered, stuffing a few more articles of clothing into a bag. Her father smiled and closed the door. A second later, Merida could hear him tell the boys to stop fooling around and to leave the suits of armors alone. She couldn't help but giggle at that.

For some reason, she was in a good mood today. She was leaving this beautiful kingdom and new friends, which made her a little sad, and she was tired from staying up all night talking with Rapunzel, but there was a lightness in her heart that she couldn't ignore. It was like a shadow had been lifted and everything that she had been worried or angry about seemed stupid and irrelevant to her.

She finished packing her clothes and grabbed her quiver and bow, slinging them over her shoulder. Finally, she grabbed a small purple piece of square cloth from her bed and held it up to the light. Rapunzel had given it to her last night to remember her by and in return, Merida gave her a wooden charm she had carved bearing her family's crest. She stuffed the cloth into her bag and left the room. A valet rushed over to take her things for loading onto the ship, she ignored the look he gave her when he eyed her weapon.

Before she left for the docks, she stopped at the stables to say goodbye to the mare she borrowed during her stay and to Maximus. She passed through the kitchens on the way and filched a couple of apples for the two horses.

"Goodbye, Reyne." She whispered to the mare as she caressed her soft nose. One of the stable hands had told her the name of the horse the second time she went out riding on her. "Thanks for letting meugh ride you. Yeugh keep Maximus in check, okay?" Reyne snickered and bobbed her head. "And you, yeh white beast, thank you for helping me, Ay'll never forget you." He was an interesting character of a horse, though he would never compare to Angus in her eyes.

It was time to leave, now; her family had finished packing and a carriage had been prepared to take them all to the docks. She hurried over and clambered in next to her mother.

Soon they were at down by the water, and the Corona castle and town loomed above her. The port was busy with sailors and valets running about, getting ready for the multiple royal parties leaving this afternoon. Other castle guests that Merida only vaguely knew were saying farewells to each other; a group of princesses from the mainland were gripping each other's arms and bawling about how they were going to miss each other. Hiccup's cousin was talking to one of the town girls and something he said made her laugh.

Merida rolled her eyes and spotted Rapunzel and Eugene talking with Hiccup by one of the ships. She felt her heart beat faster when she saw the young viking. He was so cute. And brave. He had saved her that night of the lanterns, and yesterday after she decided to join in playing those games with the others, she realized how funny and smart he was. She'd never met anyone like him back in Scotland; the other chief's sons weren't appealing at all. If Hiccup had been at the games…

A cold breeze touched her face. "Good morning." She said. Jack had snuck up behind her.

"Morning to you too. You seem happy." He said, holding his staff over his shoulder. The ground was wet here and his bare feet caused frost to form where he stepped. The summer sun was already hot, though, and the ice quickly melted.

Merida gave him a smile and tilted her face to the sun and sea breeze. "It's just a good day."

Jack looked at her a second, then returned her smile. "Glad to hear you say that. You ready to return home?"

She nodded "Ay'll miss the adventures here."

"Me too."

"Hey guys." Hiccup said when they reached the others.

"Hey." Jack returned.

"Hi." Merida said.

A valet tapped Hiccup's shoulder. "Your ship is almost ready to depart, sir."

"Thank you." The viking nodded.

"I can't believe you guys are leaving." Eugene said. "Things won't be the same here when you're gone."

Rapunzel threw her arms around Merida. "I'm going to miss you. I've never had a best friend before."

"Nither have I. Ay promise I'll write to you as often as I can." Merida hugged her back. They had grown even closer last night after they had all returned to the castle. Instead of going straight to bed, they stayed up talking about anything and everything. The conversation even turned to boys, especially Eugene, Hiccup, and Jack. Merida confessed that she found Hiccup attractive, and that she had a little crush, Rapunzel wondered aloud about her relationship with Eugene and which direction it might go. Jack and his powers also became part of the conversation. Merida had never had girl talk with another person her age, but she liked it, it was fun.

Eugene clapped his hands onto Jack's shoulders. "I would never have thought that I could have an invisible winter spirit for a friend, but I'm glad I met you Jack." He pulled Jack into a quick hug and gave him a noogey. "You'll be visiting right?"

"Of course." Jack replied, pulling free. "In fact, I think this year, you'll get the biggest snow fall you've ever seen. And I'll teach you all the best games to play in winter."

Rapunzel released Merida from her hug. "Really? I've always wanted to go sledding like I've read in my books."

Jack gave her a mischievous grin. "Then that'll be the first think I teach you."

"Merida." A voice from the din of the port carried over to the group. Queen Elinor was waving for her. "Merida, we leave soon."

"Okay, mum." She called back. "Ay'll be there in a minute." She turned back to her new friends. "It looks like Ay have to go now. Ay promise to keep in touch as much as I can."

"I'll hold you to that, Curly." Eugene wrapped her in a hug.

"Departure for Berk in five." Called someone from the crowd.

Hiccup looked at his ship. "I suppose I should get going, too. I'm really glad I met you all." He nodded to everyone. "Meet you on the ship, Jack?"

"Yup."

Someone approached Rapunzel from behind. "Your Highness?" Rapunzel and Eugene waved goodbye to everyone, then turned and started talking to the newcomer.

Hiccup turned and began weaving through the crowd. Merida heard her mother calling again and knew she must go, but she had to say something first.

"Hiccup." She caught up with him.

"Hmm?" He turned to her.

"I just wanted to say thank yeugh, again. For helping me before. And to say that I'm glad I met yeugh." She said. Her face was starting to heat up, why did she follow him again?

"I'm glad I met you too, Merida." He responded. "I never thought that someone else was able to see Jack, too."

"Me neither."

"I hope I'll see you again sometime." He said, giving her a nod and turned back to the ship.

Merida waved a hand, then upon impulse grabbed his arm and kissed his cheek. He looked at her, startled, a hand coming up to touch where she kissed him. Merida also stood, startled at herself, her face was becoming red. Before he could say anything more, she turned and ran off through the crowd to her family boarding their ship.

Hiccup stood there for a second before heading to his own ship, thoughts still on that encounter. A gruff looking old viking stood on the deck of the ship, watching the exchange with a scowl on his face.


	23. Troll Prophecy

" "This is the place?" Mor'du asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the clearing of rocks before them. Ridges of stone circled a central clearing rising up around them, geysers of steam could be heard blowing through the area, and the air smelt like vaguely like rotten eggs. There wasn't a living soul in sight.

"Yes." Gothel said, dismounting the horse she rented from the town. Her bones were sore from the ride. Without the magic from Rapunzel's hair, her body had aged quickly. Her hair was more white than black now, and wrinkles covered her skin. It sickened her to think of herself so old, but in a way it had helped her pass unnoticed.

The bear prince dismounted too. "So where's the oracle?"

She held up a hand, telling him to wait, and walked to the center of the stone clearing. "I know you are here. We seek council from your farseer." She called loudly. Oh how her voice quivered with age.

There was a minute of silence, then the valley suddenly began to rumble and several stones began to roll toward them from all around. Soon, the two of them were faced with a small group of mossy boulders that stood up and looked at them.

One of the trolls stepped forward, wearing red crystals and flowers in its hair. Female, Gothel guessed. "What is it do you want to know?"

"Your people told a prophecy some years before. I'd like to hear it, if you would please." Her voice came out so tired and old.

The troll frowned, "That prophecy is common knowledge among your people. Why have you come here to hear it? It's told in the spring pageant every year."

Common knowledge? That didn't sound right. "I want to hear it from the source."

The trolls blinked in unison twice, then gathered in a huddle. A second of conversation passed and they turned to look at the two. Three trolls with blue crystals stepped up and began speaking in a dark tone. Clouds had covered the sun while they spoke and the atmosphere suddenly became dark.

"Your future is bleak.

Your kingdom will splinter

Your land shall be cursed

with unending winter."

The other three trolls, wearing red crystals like the first troll, stepped up and replaced the male trolls in speaking.

"With blasts of cold

Will come dark art

And a ruler with a frozen heart"

All together they spoke now. Mist was starting to flow across the stone of the clearing. Gothel rolled her eyes at the theatrics.

"Then all will perish

in snow and ice

Unless you are freed with a

Sword sacrifice."

Suddenly there were more trolls gathered around them. They came in small numbers until there were three times the original number. All of the voices of the trolls reciting the prophecy would have added to an eerie atmosphere but for the fact that it had no relevance to the two standing there.

"That's not the prophecy I meant." Gothel said quietly. She knelt down and looked the female troll in the eye. "I came for the other one."

There was dead silence in the grove as she stared down the troll. Behind her, she heard Mor'du step forward. Another rumbling came through the clearing and the crowd of trolls, hundreds of them now, parted to let a larger boulder through. This troll had yellow crystals around his neck, and a mane of grass.

"Why have you come here, Gothel of Corona and Mor'du of Scotland?" The elder troll asked them, his voice terse. The crowd of trolls watched intently, murmurs arose at the sound of the two visitors names.

"We've come to hear the prophecy in full. I need to hear all the details so we can be sure nothing will get in our way of our plans."

"I've told Pitch before, and I'm telling you now; your goal to take control of the land will be stopped by the four, if they become friends."

"They aren't friends." Mor'du spoke up. "We made sure of that."

The troll looked sad at hearing that. "Then you're most likely to succeed."

"I still want to hear what you know of the future. Tell me the prophecy." Gothel was getting annoyed.

"It starts here, in this kingdom and soon I fear it will come to pass."

"What else?"

The troll sighed and lifted his hands. Images of light appeared in the air, two groups of four faces- Gothel, Mor'du, Pitch, and Mildew on one side, Hiccup, Merida, Jack, and Rapunzel surrounded a single silhouette of a young woman.

"Four will plot

Four will grow

One will live in fear

Hiding the gift of snow"

The images changed to show the silhouettes of Pitch, Mor'du, Mildew, and Gothel in victory that changed to defeat.

"You shall succeed and

You shall fail for

The perfect team will

In the end, prevail"

The troll stopped and looked at Gothel. He had finished on a final note and the images of light his hands had made disappeared leaving the clearing in the cloudy light of the day but there was still more to tell, Gothel knew.

"There's more." She told him. "Keep going."

The troll sighed and waved his hands. This time he showed a montage of the children yelling at each other and turning away. Jack pounded his staff on the floor sending ice outward as he spoke angrily, Merida paced, yelling and slamming the door, Hiccup and Rapunzel sat alone with distant and sad expressions on their faces.

"Unless they find

No true affection with each other

And part ways separately

Unlikely to discover

Their power found

In unity

For then there is nothing

That can stop those who seek

A world ruled by dark fear"

"What happens now is up to you and yours." The head troll said after he finished. "What I can see is vague, but will come to pass unless you head the warnings, which I suppose you have. If what you say is true, then nothing stands in your way now."

Mor'du smiled, teeth showing, and Gothel nodded. "Thank you." She said. "That was exactly what I wanted to hear."

**All right. Here it is. The last chapter of the Perfect Team. Feel fee to review about your favorite parts, or not so favorite parts. I'll be starting the sequel this week and it should be up soon. Keep a look out in the Rise of the Guardian Frozen crossover fics for when I finally update. Thank you all for your support.**


	24. Author's note

**Hey, everyone. The sequel is officially up and running! Finally, after nearly a year of writing this story. **

**You can find it in the Frozen/ Rise of the Guardian crossover section. It's called Prophecy Foretold (The Perfect Team). Go check it out and enjoy, review, tell your fandom friends ect ect.**

**Thank you all for your support. **


End file.
